To the Brink
by BullDemon
Summary: When a seemingly innocuous off world accident leaves Jack O'Neill fighting for his life, SG1 must join together with an old friend to help bring him back from the brink of death.


As the brilliant morning sun rose leisurely above the earthly mountains of Colorado Springs, the sights and sounds of a new day's beginning slowly enveloped the town. Birds chirped their sweet songs, newspapers met the curb with a thump, and cars sat peacefully idling as the night's frost was scraped from their windows. Many early commuters were already heading off for a day at the office, while school children were just awakening to greet the chilly fall morning. While the day was just beginning for most, a handful of people had already been busy at work for hours. And for some of them, things were just starting to get interesting.

The day's activities had long since been underway for the staff stationed at the classified Air Force base far beneath the surface at Cheyenne Mountain. Stargate Command was on the cutting edge of space exploration and interplanetary diplomacy, hard at work protecting Earth from enemies that the majority of the population couldn't possibly imagine. In a large conference room located in the bowels of the base, SG-1, the SGC's leading team, were already well into their morning briefing with the program's decorated commander, General George Hammond.

The briefing room's five occupants sat clustered at one end of the central table, the invigorating smell of the morning's freshly brewed coffee still permeating the air. Digital images flashed slowly across the wide screen at the head of the room, each one revealing a small glimpse of another world located somewhere on the other side of the galaxy. The planet had been designated as P4X-564 and, as the photos revealed, appeared to be nothing like they had ever encountered before. Rather than the typical world of lush greenery, azure skies, and expansive Earth-like landscapes, SG-1 found themselves staring at images of what appeared to be a massive gravel pit, complete with hill-sized boulders and towering, wind swept sand dunes.

"…And as you can clearly see from these preliminary UAV flyover images, our greatest potential for locating any Naquadah pockets is within this 15 kilometer radius," Major Samantha Carter lectured as she turned her gaze away from the projection screen and to the small group of men that had been listening. Or whom she _thought_ had been listening. Confronted with three blank stares and one void of any emotion whatsoever, Sam drew in a deep sigh and drummed her fingers lightly against the folder she held. "So, any questions?"

"Yeah, I'm a little lost," Colonel Jack O'Neill said, straightening up from his slouch and resting his forearms on the table. "Could you clear something up for me?"

"Certainly, sir," she replied, momentarily considering the possibility they had been listening after all. "Where did I lose you?"

"Umm," O'Neill uttered, referencing his mission folder for a moment. "Yeah, here it is. Why are we doing this again?"

Carter's shoulders dropped in exasperation, all conceivable notions that the men had been listening instantly dashed from her mind.

"Because, sir, we need to locate a sizable supply of Naquadah in order to further our research with the new portable reactor," she explained. "And so far, out of the dozens of planets screened, P4X-564 is our best chance for finding it."

"Ah," the handsome, middle-aged man replied with a nod. "Gotcha."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Sam, you said the planet has no signs of indigenous life," Dr. Daniel Jackson remarked, winding his pen idly around in his fingers. "Any ideas why?"

"Well for starters, its surface is like one giant desert. It's even more desolate than Abydos, and as near as we can tell from the footage sent back by the MALP and UAV, there are no plants, trees, insects, or animals to speak of. If I had to guess, I'd say the planet has either suffered a massive natural disaster in the recent past, or quite possibly it's always been this way," Carter offered.

"And you're confident the surroundings are safe?" General Hammond inquired from his position at the head of the table.

"Yes, sir. All environmental factors checked out to be well within acceptable levels. It may not be easy on the eyes, but the atmosphere is safe."

"Did you not mention a peculiar characteristic about the river system present on the planet?" Teal'c asked, his expression as stoic as ever.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," Sam uttered, rifling through her notes before projecting a bird's eye view image of the planet. "This is probably one the more unique features we've come across in our exploration of other worlds. During the UAV flyover, we followed along as much of this river structure as possible. It varies in widths from three to several hundred meters, and would appear to circumnavigate the entire planet. We believe it to be a manmade structure due to the fact that the edges are so straight and precise."

"Who would take the time to carve out an entire river system and just abandon it?" Hammond inquired.

"Perhaps they were captured and relocated by the Goa'uld," Teal'c suggested, the very thought disgusting the rebel Jaffa.

"There's always that chance," Daniel uttered, standing as something on the screen caught his eye. His nose mere inches from the image, the archeologist pointed out several tiny objects that ran along the perimeter of the river. "What are these?"

Leaning over the massive table, O'Neill found it necessary to squint in order to see the items of interest. "Now how in _hell_ did you see that?"

"They appear to be columns made of stone and are randomly scattered along the edge of the river," Sam replied, deliberately ignoring the Colonel's remark. "We've counted more than a dozen so far, but none of them were close enough to allow for clear image. Fortunately, we'll be passing by several of them on our the way to the survey site located about 5 clicks from the Gate."

"Lucky us," O'Neill muttered under his breath, loudly slapping his pen to the table as he stood. "So, when do we leave for this little…adventure?"

Hammond smiled at the Colonel's hesitation. He knew O'Neill was a man of action and often saw scouting missions as painfully tedious. Nevertheless, it was a chance to go off world, and this was something the General knew he would never refuse.

"This planet sounds like it might have something to offer us, people," he said, gathering up his notes and depositing them in his mission folder. "And I want you to go find out what that something is. Your departure for P4X-564 is scheduled for 0900 hours. Dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Colonel O'Neill frowned as he made his way to the Gate room, displeased at the smudges he saw on his sunglasses as he held them up to the light. Tugging free a corner of his jacket, he set to work rubbing the lenses clean, oblivious to the airmen that ducked out of his way. Entering the spacious room that housed the Stargate, he looked up to find the rest of his team gathered beside a MALP, the Gate already in mid dialing sequence.

"Glad you thought to join us, Jack," Daniel said, voicing the opinion of the other two members. They all knew how much the Colonel disliked research missions and weren't surprised to see that he was dragging his feet.

"Chevron 4 encoded."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is," O'Neill replied smoothly, finally satisfied that his sunglasses were clean before letting them dangle from their cord against his chest. "First, I couldn't find any socks to match my outfit, and then trying to find a belt to complement this jacket… I tell you, it wasn't easy."

"Chevron 5 encoded."

Major Carter shook her head and Daniel rolled his eyes in response to the man's sarcastic banter. Teal'c, on the other hand, wore a deep frown across his face, confused by his leader's statement.

"Do you not wear the same attire on all of our expeditions, O'Neill?"

"You know, Teal'c, I think you're right," he said, cracking an amused grin and cuffing the dark skinned man on the arm. "You have no idea how much time you've just saved me by bringing that to my attention. Thanks."

Teal'c eyed him suspiciously. "You are welcome."

"Chevron 6 encoded."

"Colonel O'Neill, is SG-1 prepared to embark?" General Hammond's voice appeared from a speaker on the wall, his words reverberating around the enormous room. O'Neill turned to see the stocky man observing from the control room window above, and offered him a casual salute.

"Yes, sir! We're raring to go," he called up, hugging the P90 that hung from his field vest. "Just give us the word."

"Chevron 7 locked."

At those three simple words, all eyes were drawn toward the massive gray circle in the back of the room, no one wanting to miss the spectacular display that was the activation of the Stargate. As the final Chevron locked into place, a gigantic ball of shimmering blue energy exploded horizontally from the center of the Gate, before withdrawing back into the ring to form a quivering, puddle-like event horizon. The doorway to another world was now open.

General Hammond looked down at the now grinning SG-1, the blotchy light emitted from the Stargate dancing across their faces. Leaning forward into the microphone, Hammond spoke the words the eager group was waiting to hear.

"SG-1, you have a go."

"You heard the man! Let's move out!" O'Neill shouted to his team, motioning towards the Gate. Only steps behind the small remote driven vehicle, SG-1 marched proudly up the steel ramp and disappeared through the iridescent puddle, each one wondering what could possibly be awaiting them on the other side.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A dirty cloud of thick, sun baked dust and crud erupted into the almost bottle green sky as the Stargate abruptly kawooshed to life. As the event horizon wavered hypnotically within the intricately carved ring, a warm golden sun shown down from above, reflecting on the water-like façade. As the dust finally began to settle, the DHD once again became visible, its typically vibrant ruby red center dull from exposure.

Colonel O'Neill exited the Stargate with a slight spring in his step, the sudden deceleration enough to send anyone who was unprepared sprawling to the ground. Listening as the others appeared safely behind him, O'Neill reached for his sunglasses and slid them carefully onto his face before lifting his eyes to the sky. Taking a long look at the glowing sun overhead, he welcomed its warmth after the chilling ride through the wormhole.

"DHD checks out, sir," Carter called up to him, wiping her already dusty hands off on her fatigues. "Looks like it hasn't been used for a long time."

"Go ahead and signal back, Major," he replied, descending from the Gate platform to get a better look at the new world around him.

The planet seemed barren, almost desert like in appearance. Dunes of gravel, rock piles, and gigantic boulders went on for as far as the eye could see, scarcely any plant life breaking up the scenery. Off in the distance, he could just make out what he assumed to be the river, a slight shimmer flickering against the horizon.

"Well this is different," Daniel uttered, joining in on his teammate's observations.

"Yeah," he agreed, the air unnaturally still and quiet. "Sure doesn't look like Kansas."

"What does 'a Kansas' look like, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, still perched atop the Gate platform, his staff weapon clutched in his hand.

"Carter, haven't you shown him that movie yet?" the Colonel questioned.

"No, sir. I thought I'd leave that task for you," she replied, adjusting the pack that hung on her shoulders.

"Thanks," he muttered drawing in a deep breath of the warm air. "So, where's the best place to find Naquadah around here?"

"According to preliminary density scans, about five clicks northwest of here, sir," Carter reported, gazing in the general direction.

"I'd also like to take a look at those stone columns the UAV picked up along the edge of the river," Daniel added, pulling a digital camera from his pocket. "They might give us some insight on the purpose of this planet."

O'Neill sighed and rapped his fingers impatiently against the butt of his P-90. It was going to be a long day.

"All right," he said, eager to get moving. "We have limited time here folks, so let's get going. Everyone stay sharp."

With a final glance to the giant silver ring that now stood silently in the background, O'Neill started off for the survey site with his team close on his heels.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As SG-1 marched through the bland surroundings, each one wondered what could have inspired anyone to erect a Stargate in the middle of nowhere. They were following along the bank of a deep, muddy river; the unpleasant odor of sulfur becoming more prominent the further they ventured. They had traveled for nearly 45 minutes before anything of interest came into view, the sight of the first stone column even temporarily peaking the curiosity of the Colonel.

"There's one!" Daniel suddenly shouted from the back of the group, pushing his way eagerly past the others.

"Hey! No running by the pool!" O'Neill exclaimed, finding himself coming precariously close to the edge of the river in order to avoid the stampeding scientist.

"Oh wow… there's actually writing on it!" Daniel muttered, immediately beginning to snap pictures from every possible angle.

"Writing, well… lucky us," the Colonel remarked dryly, offering the Major a lopsided grin.

"Can you read it?" she asked, smirking at the man's antics before moving in to get a look for herself. The dark gray column stood about two meters high, the surface deeply pockmarked from years of sandstorm exposure.

"Maybe…" Daniel uttered, kneeling down and running his fingers over the imprinted symbols. "It's not Goa'uld, or at least not a form I've encountered before. Teal'c?"

The large Jaffa studied the writing for a moment before shaking his head. "It is not a dialect I am familiar with, Daniel Jackson. I believe you are correct about this not being of Goa'uld origin."

"Well, there's some good news," O'Neill muttered, shifting his weight to one foot.

After watching his team fuss over the inanimate object for several minutes, the Colonel finally grew tired of waiting and decided it was time to push onward. "Okay, Campers, let's move out. I'm sure there're _tons_ more sites to see along the way."

"Yes, sir," Carter replied, motioning to Teal'c to take lead. As O'Neill began to follow, he turned back to see Daniel taking a few final images.

"Hey, Danny, you missed a spot," he called back, shaking his head when the man believed him.

"Thanks, Jack," he remarked, his camera flashing a few more times.

"Oy," O'Neill groaned, taking his hat off and scrubbing a hand through his hair. "Come on, now. Don't make me count to three."

"Coming," the archeologist replied, reluctantly pocketing his equipment before finally catching up to the others.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His thoughts swirling with rapidly forming questions, Daniel gazed up at the alien sun that shone down on the journeying team. He was captivated by the message they'd found on the stone column, and was already itching to get back to the SGC to work on deciphering it. Despite their brief time on the planet, his archeological instincts told him it meant something of great importance, something more than it was offering at face value.

"Hey, Daniel," O'Neill called out from the front of the group. "There's another one of your rocks up ahead."

"Really?" the archeologist's thoughts immediately refocused as he hurried to the head of the line. They had traveled for nearly half an hour without seeing anything of interest, the same dirty river and irregular rock piles seeming to encompass the entire planet. Now, with the prospect of more symbols to translate, Daniel found his energy and enthusiasm peaking once again.

Kneeling down, he began to trace the symbols with his finger. "That's strange…"

"What?" O'Neill asked, tugging at a few stubborn wrinkles in his gloves.

"This column is exactly the same as the last one we came across," Daniel replied, fumbling around for his camera. "Same material, same height, same symbols."

"Maybe a warning of some kind?" Carter suggested.

"Out here?" O'Neill exclaimed, gesturing to the endless empty space surrounding them. "What? No trespassing?"

"I don't know," Daniel murmured, snapping a photo as he spoke. "It just doesn't make sense any way you look at it."

"Perhaps we will discover more as we continue to our destination," Teal'c offered, the butt of his tall staff weapon resting on the dusty ground.

"Now _that's_ the best suggestion I've heard all day," the Colonel declared, anxious to get moving. "Let's try it, shall we?"

"Hang on, Jack. Just let me get a few more…" Daniel said, his words fading as he concentrated on focusing the camera.

"Come on, Daniel," Carter persuaded, the situation quickly becoming as tedious for her at it was for the others. "You know what they say about these alien columns: you've seen one, you've seen them all."

"Good one, Major," O'Neill said with an approving smirk.

Tired of being hassled and feeling outnumbered, Daniel took a final photo before standing up and rejoining the others. "All right, you win."

"Great," O'Neill said, pointing in the direction they'd been traveling. "Let's go."

As the team resumed their trek, Daniel couldn't help but look back over his shoulder to the motionless stone column perched by the side of the sulfur-scented river. There was something nagging him about its presence, and it bothered him that he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. With a frustrated sigh, he trotted a few steps to catch up with the others, trying to shake the feeling of unrest that had begun creeping into the back of his mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was nearly 1100 hours before Carter finally signaled that they had reached the location to begin collecting samples. They were at a low point along the riverbank opposite the Stargate, the normally towering ring reduced to a mere speck against the unfamiliar horizon. The air had remained unnaturally quiet and still throughout their journey, the silence only now broken by the occasional scrape of a shovel or click of a camera.

O'Neill sat at the edge of the river, contently occupying himself by snapping pebbles at the glassy surface of the water. From where he was perched atop a pile of earth-toned boulders, he half watched the rest of his team working close by. Carter and Teal'c busily filled small bottles and bags with various clods of dirt, while Daniel waltzed hypnotized around the latest stone column with his camera.

"This still doesn't make any sense," Daniel murmured, pausing to run his fingers over the deeply carved symbols before him. "Why would anyone need to make three posts that say the exact same thing?"

"Maybe Carter's right," O'Neill offered, preparing to flick a flat stone towards the river. "Could be a warning of some kind."

"Yeah, but a warning of what?" Daniel watched as he released the stone, the small object skipping several times across the surface before sinking silently to the bottom.

_'Yes! I still got it…'_ O'Neill thought, clapping a cloud of dust from his gloves with a smirk.

"Jack, look at this place. We've seen no signs of people, no insects, no birds, only a handful of plants – what's this place for?"

"Looks just like a big, muddy fishing hole to me," the Colonel answered, making a fist and lightly punching the air in frustration. "Damn, the one trip I didn't bring my rod."

Daniel shook his head as he knelt at the water's edge, examining the undisturbed gravel. "There aren't even tracks leading to the water to indicate it's used for drinking. I mean aside from the awful smell, it appears safe."

"I'm sure it's good to the last drop," O'Neill said as he pushed himself to his feet with a grunt. "But we're here for the rocks, not the water."

"Perhaps the meaning of this planet resides within the symbols on the stone columns," Teal'c suggested, sealing the bag he held in his hands.

"I hope so," Daniel uttered, his forehead creased with thought.

O'Neill sighed and peeled back the strap that concealed his watch. Although it only displayed 1207, he felt like they'd been there for hours. "Carter, you and Teal'c about done playing in the sandbox?"

Carter stood from her crouch and tucked a small trowel back into her vest. "Yes, sir. I just want to get a sample of the water and the material the columns are made out of."

Making her way quickly over to the shoreline, Carter could only imagine how tedious the mission must seem to the Colonel who thrived on action. Gathering soil samples and scouting out uninhabited planets made for long days and even longer mission reports – two aspects of the job she knew he disliked.

Kneeling at the water's edge, she uncapped a small sample bottle and plunged it into the river.

_'That's odd…'_ she thought, finding the water was almost in a gel like state. _'It certainly looks like water, but...' _

"Major?"

"Coming, sir," she called over her shoulder. Capping the bottle, she quickly tucked it away along with the questions about its unique characteristics.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The alien sun had slowly begun to sink below the horizon, as SG-1 made their way silently back towards the Gate. The route they had chosen led them along the far side of the river, a more direct and difficult path than they had taken on their initial journey. The murky water slopped lazily against the rocks lining the bank several meters below, the now familiar smell of sulfur still permeating the slowly chilling air.

Major Carter reached up and removed her sunglasses in an attempt to see the now shadow-frosted landscape around her more clearly. It wasn't nearly dark enough for flashlights, but the sun was setting much faster than she anticipated.

'_Looks like I miscalculated the day to night shift on this planet…'_ she mused; glad the Colonel hadn't brought the fact to her attention yet. She had to admit the sunset was beautiful: rays of yellow, orange, and fuchsia light streaking the sky as far as the eye could see. Off to her right stood acres upon acres of massive boulders, their dark silhouettes masking the dry, barren ground in which they sat.

Listening to the rhythmic crunching of the gravel beneath the team's feet, Sam soon allowed her mind to wander back to the possible purpose of the planet they were visiting.

'What could the message mean? Why would anyone take the time to carve out three identical markers? What's the purpose of the river? Why isn't there life on the planet? Why is there even a Gate here? How come the water is so…'

"Getting a little dark out here isn't it, Carter?" O'Neill called from the front of the pack, his voice immediately bringing her back to the present.

"Yes, sir. I guess I underestimated the hours of daylight out here," she replied.

"Ya think?" his typical flippant answer causing her to cringe and smile at the same time.

"Sorry, sir."

As the group fell back into silence, Sam glanced over her shoulder at Teal'c who was walking only a few paces behind her, his staff weapon cradled securely under his arm. Even though his dark skin made him nearly disappear in the fading light, she knew he wore an expression of vigilance, his senses alert for anything that could possibly be a threat to the team.

'_What could possibly be a threat out here?' _she thought, feeling relatively safe having seen nothing but rocks, dirt, and water throughout their entire mission. _'I guess if you tripped over a rock or something…'_

"Is that another column?" Her thoughts interrupted once again, Sam took her eyes off her dusty boots to see Daniel hurrying past O'Neill with his camera in hand.

"Oh goody – another one!" O'Neill said with mocked excitement, though his rigid posture clearly showed he wasn't amused.

"Does it bear the same symbols as the others, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked, coming up beside Carter.

"Yep, exactly the same," he replied, kneeling down to photograph the column.

"If they're all the same, why are we even stopping?" O'Neill asked, resting his arms across his weapon. "It's not getting any lighter out here, and I'm not planning on sticking around to see what goes 'bump in the night' if you know what I mean."

"Just one more photo, Jack," Daniel muttered, backing up to focus the camera. "There has to be some significance to this – I'm just not sure what… yet."

"Right…" the Colonel uttered, turning to his second in command. "Hear that, Carter? He said: Just _one _more photo. You're my witness."

Ignoring the terse remarks from the group's leader, the archeologist brought his full attention back to the screen on the digital camera in his hands. Although the light was working against him, he was determined to get one last shot before they departed, possibly never having a reason to return. So occupied was his mind that he failed to notice he was quickly running out of solid ground on which to stand.

"Daniel! Look out!" Carter's alarmed voice rang out from somewhere close by, causing him to instinctively take a step back and look around to avoid any oncoming danger. Unfortunately for him, it was the wrong move to make.

"Whoa!" with a startled cry, Daniel felt the stony ground beneath his feet become unglued as he began to tumble backward towards the water below.

"Damn it, Daniel!" O'Neill's voice was almost as gruff as the grip he took on the man's black field vest as he hauled him to his feet by the collar, the camera flying from his hands.

"No!" Pulling free of the Colonel's saving grasp, Daniel lurched forward in an attempt to catch the falling object. In his haste, the two men collided, his elbow catching O'Neill in the shoulder and knocking him off balance. Realizing there was no time to recover, O'Neill instinctively drew in a deep breath as the ground disappeared from beneath his feet, plunging him face first into the murky water below.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Colonel!"

The scene that played out before her eyes appeared to happen in such slow motion, it was almost surreal. She had joined Teal'c by the stone column in order to get another rock sample when Daniel's shouts filled the air. She turned back round just in time to see her commanding officer heading over the embankment of the river, followed by a sizeable splash as he broke the surface.

Carter and Teal'c both dashed for the water's edge and joined Daniel on their knees to get closer to the muddy water that had swallowed their teammate.

"Daniel, what happened?" she demanded, suspiciously eyeing the camera he clutched tightly against his body.

"Jack grabbed me away from the edge and the camera flew out of my hands. I just reacted and we collided…" the archeologist replied, turning his gaze to the water below. Small bubbles and waves radiated across the surface where O'Neill had gone under, a sticky brown foam collecting against the rocks. His eyes widened suddenly, realizing what he had done. "Oh my god… Jack!"

He pocketed the camera and looked over the edge, the entire team holding their breath as they waited to see signs that the Colonel was all right.

"Should we not attempt a rescue?" Teal'c asked, poised and awaiting Carter's orders to go in after him.

She was about to nod when something moving just below the surface caught her eye.

"Wait a second," she uttered, holding up a hand. Moments later, O'Neill burst from the depths shaking his head and coughing, attempting to clear the filthy water from his face. "Colonel! Are you all right?"

After flailing about for a moment, O'Neill finally got his wits about him and began to tread water to keep himself steady.

"I will be once I get my hands around Daniel's neck!" the tone of O'Neill's voice clearly showing he was beyond livid.

"Jack! I'm _so_ sorry!" Leaning forward as much as he dared on the uneven ground, Daniel struggled to reach out to the gasping man below him. His hand failing to reach even a third of the distance, he rocked back on his heels and looked frantically up to Teal'c. "Can you do something?"

After a moment of thought, the Jaffa picked his faithful staff weapon up from beside him and lowered the non-firing end towards the Colonel.

"O'Neill!"

Taking hold of the out stretched staff, O'Neill began to pull himself free of the water when the all too familiar click of the weapon arming sounded off in his ear.

"Okay, I think this is a bad idea," he uttered, quickly slipping back into the water.

"Sir, I've got climbing gear, I'll throw you a rope," Carter called down, swinging her backpack to the ground and pulling it open.

"Negative, Major," he replied, swiping the now saturated ball cap from his head and flipping it towards her. "There's nothing solid to anchor to. I don't want to risk pulling anyone else in."

"Can we not use the column itself?" Teal'c suggested, having disengaged his weapon and set it aside.

"We don't know how deep it runs. It could come right down on top of him," Carter muttered. At a loss for ideas, she looked back down at the Colonel who was busy pulling his jacket and vest off. "Sir, what are you doing?"

"Well, it looks like I'm not going to be able to climb out of here," he said, motioning towards the steep and unstable sides of the river. "So I'm going to have to swim out and I don't want to be slowed down by all this stuff. Here, catch."

With a grunt, he heaved his jacket towards his team, followed by his vest, sunglasses, boots, and P-90. Teal'c frowned as he knelt and picked up the saturated weapon.

"Should you not take this with you, O'Neill?"

"I've still got my sidearm, besides, you'll be right behind me," he said, glancing over his shoulder to check the distance.

'_Oy…_' he thought, seeing it was much farther than he had initially believed.

"Meet you at the shoreline, kids. Don't be late now."

"Yes, sir," Carter replied, his wet clothes folded up in her arms. After watching him swim away and out of sight, she turned to Teal'c and Daniel. "Come on guys. Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

O'Neill sat by the edge of the river, trying to ignore the irritating tickle caused by water running down the back of his neck. He'd beaten the rest of his team to the shore, and now could only sit and wait for them to catch up.

_'I'm gonna be sore tomorrow…'_ he thought dismally, stretching his shoulders that were still burning from the unexpected bout of exercise. Using a hand to shade his eyes against the setting sun, he stood and squinted in the direction of the Stargate. The massive ring stood about one kilometer away, the fading light causing it to take on a shadow-like appearance.

An unexpected breeze caused a shiver to work its way through O'Neill's tall form, his wet clothes failing to offer him protection. Rubbing his hands across his arms in an attempt to get warm, he dropped back down on his rocky perch and sighed.

_'I hate being cold…'_

"Sorry we're late, sir, but…"

Startled, the Colonel launched to his feet, his hand automatically darting for the 9 mm holstered on his leg. Fueled by adrenaline, he had it cocked and aimed all in one fluid motion.

"Whoa, Jack! It's just us," Daniel said, holding up his hands to show they were empty.

"We didn't mean to surprise you, Colonel," Carter said, offering him his jacket. Still charged from the fright, O'Neill holstered the weapon and pulled on his coat, the wet garment meeting his already chilled skin with an icy shock. "We thought you'd hear us coming."

After an awkward pause, she tried her best to lighten the mood. "Did you have a good swim, sir?"

O'Neill raised an eyebrow at the question as he sat to pull on his waterlogged boots.

"You bet. The water was great – freezing cold, smelly as hell, and slimy. Just the way I _like_ it," his answer heavy with sarcasm. When he looked up again, he found Daniel at his feet, his face scrunched up as if expecting to be struck.

"Daniel?" he asked, watching as the archeologist dangled his newly water stained sunglasses by their cord.

"Listen, Jack, I'm sorry…"

"Did you manage to save the camera?" he questioned, snatching the glasses and securing them around his neck before jamming on his hat.

Daniel reached up and plucked a stray weed from his leader's jacket. "When the camera fell I just reacted. I had no idea that…"

"Ah!" the Colonel sharply cut him off as he took his damp P90 from Teal'c. "Accidents happen, Daniel. Why don't we just leave it at that?" Reluctantly Daniel nodded, still feeling his apology had not been truly accepted. "Right. Now since it's not getting any lighter or _warmer_ out here, I suggest we head back home – that is, if we're done?"

"Yes, sir," Carter answered. "We've got all we need."

"Great. Teal'c, take point."

Watching the dark Jaffa gallantly take lead of the group, O'Neill shuddered as a violent shiver chased its way up his spine. Scowling, he made his way to the back of the line where he could walk in peace, his wet boots squishing with each step.

'_God, how I hate the cold…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Off world activation…" As the familiar computer-generated voice flooded the halls of the SGC, armed guards and essential personnel hurried to their positions in and around the embarkation room.

General Hammond made his way from his office and down to the control room just in time to hear the event horizon collide with the closed iris. Pausing behind the Gate technician, he watched as blue and white splotches of light shimmered across every surface in the room below.

"What have we got, sergeant?"

"We're getting an IDC, sir – it's SG-1."

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered, moving towards the stairs to meet his team. Walking towards the Gate room, the General couldn't help but feel relieved that they were reporting back on time. Whenever he authorized an off world mission, a voice in the back of his mind reminded him of the dozens of things that could go wrong and the fact he might never see his people again. Even though everyone who stepped through the Stargate knew what risks were involved, it never took any weight off the General's broad shoulders. Ultimately, they were his responsibility. His people. His friends.

Sliding his ID through the card reader, Hammond watched the heavy steel doors slide open, allowing him access to the embarkation room. Once inside, he found himself releasing the breath he'd been holding once he saw all four members of his elite team standing on the ramp beneath the Gate. He watched for a moment as they handed off their weapons and gear to be stored, the event horizon dissolving away with a hiss in the background.

"Welcome home, SG-1," Hammond greeted, wandering up to the foot of the ramp. About to ask if their mission had gone well, his eyes immediately fell upon the murky puddle that was forming at O'Neill's feet. "Colonel, what the hell happened?"

"Oh, you know how it goes, General," he began matter-of-factly, peeling off his jacket that had partially frozen to his skin from the trip through the Gate. "I figured I hadn't been swimming for a while, and what with the river there and all, I decided to do a few laps while the others played in the sand."

Hammond cocked his head and looked at his drenched officer with a mixture of concern and confusion.

"That's a joke, General," O'Neill said, and when man's expression didn't change, he continued under his breath. "A very small, bad joke."

"Well what…?"

"Sir, it was my fault," Daniel blurted out. "I ah… I sort of _pushed_ Jack into the water."

"It was a most unfortunate accident," Teal'c added, stepping off the ramp.

"I'm sure it was, son," Hammond assured, though taking notice of the sullen look that flashed in the Colonel's eyes. "Did you find anything of value?"

"Yes, sir," Carter replied, holding up her backpack that contained all the samples she and Teal'c had collected. "The preliminary field tests showed significant levels of Naquadah. We'll need to run some more thorough tests to be certain, but so far things look promising."

"And we also discovered 4 of those stone columns scattered around the banks of the river," Daniel explained, pulling the memory card from his camera. "Oddly enough, they all bear the same inscription in a language we haven't encountered before."

Hammond nodded, interested in what was being said. He knew that discovering Naquadah was about as important to the Stargate project as making new allies to help wage the war against the Goa'uld. Finding anthropological data on the many cultures that inhabited the Universe was an added bonus that the program had only recently begun to embrace.

"Fair enough," Hammond said at last, certain the group was anxious to move on. "I look forward to hearing the details. Get cleared through the infirmary and then get yourselves cleaned up. We debrief in one hour."

"Yes, sir," O'Neill replied as he and his team turned to leave the Gate Room, eager to get out of his saturated clothes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An hour later, all of SG-1 had assembled in the briefing room to go over their recent mission, each one having been given a clean bill of health. The oversized wooden table was nearly lost beneath the scads of paper that Dr. Jackson had deposited on top of it, leaving the other members of the team with little room to call their own. An image of one of the stone columns was displayed on the wall behind Hammond, its mysterious message beckoning to be solved. They had already been over the possibilities of Naquadah being present on the planet, and had moved on to discuss the curious stone pillars.

"So you have no idea what their purpose could be?" Hammond asked, turning to study the photo projected behind him.

"Not yet," Daniel replied, several sheets of images clutched in each hand as he tried to make sense of them. "It's going to take some time to cross reference and decipher all the symbols. Some of them appear to be of Goa'uld origin, but they look nothing like we've ever seen before. I'm hoping with Teal'c's help, we might be able to piece together at least a general meaning."

"What I'm wondering is if there are significant deposits of Naquadah on the planet as the early tests indicate, why would the Goa'uld just abandon it?" Carter asked, her hands wrapped tightly around a still steaming mug of coffee.

Teal'c nodded in agreement. "It is most unlike the Goa'uld to leave such a valuable resource behind. Even if their supply were plenty, greed would compel them to hoard every last scrap in an attempt to keep it away from other Goa'uld. I believe what Major Carter said earlier about the columns being a warning to be correct."

"A warning? Of what kind?" Hammond questioned.

"No swimming?" the Colonel offered, speaking for the first time. He sat slouched in his chair beside Daniel, his hair still damp from the shower he'd taken not long ago.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Daniel said, relieved to hear some of the bitterness had left O'Neill's voice.

"Watch your step? Closed for the season? Slippery when wet? Danger! Danger! Will Rob…"

"Colonel," Hammond cautioned, though having to work hard to curb a smile of his own. He cleared his throat and continued. "Keep me apprised on your research, Dr. Jackson. If this planet holds something that could be used against the Goa'uld, it could be of great value to us."

"Yes, sir," he replied, gathering up his papers.

"That's all I have, people," Hammond said, standing up from the head of the table. "Good work. Dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Colonel O'Neill walked slowly down the hallway of the SGC, searching through his coat pockets for his truck's keys. It was late afternoon and he was heading home for the day, ready for some down time after such an eventful mission.

'_Down time and another shower…' _he thought, his earlier shower having been unsuccessful in washing away the greasy feeling and metallic odor that the water had left on his skin.

Glancing through an open door as he passed, O'Neill immediately recognized the person who was back to him, hunched over a microscope. Without a sound, he turned into the room and stood in the doorway, watching silently for a few minutes. When the person failed to notice him, he moved to stand behind them.

"Whatcha doing, Carter?"

"Oh!" the Major reeled off her seat, the metal stool clattering to the floor with a resonating bang. "Colonel, I didn't see you standing there."

He bent down and picked up the stool, sliding it back under her workbench. Taking a moment to observe the spread of slides, pipettes, vials, and dyes she had scattered all around, he found his attention falling on the jar of water she had collected on their mission.

"You can leave that for tomorrow, ya know," he said. "We are usually allowed to go home at the end of the day."

"Yes, sir," she began, her heart rate finally slowing to near normal. "I wanted to get a jump start on preparing the water sample from P4X-564 for analysis. The characteristics of it are so unique. I mean just for starters, its teaming with microbial life and the viscosity level is extremely…" Her words trailed off when the look on O'Neill's face clearly showed he wasn't sharing the same enthusiasm for the topic as she was. "So, you're heading out yourself, sir?"

"Yep," he replied, jamming his hands into his pockets. "I've got an appointment with an old chair, some cold beer, and a new episode of _The Simpsons_." Sam smiled, amused by his choice of entertainment. "Interested?"

"Me? Oh, no thank you, sir. I mean I have so much left to do," she said quickly, picking up the sample jar only to nearly drop it in shock. "Whoa. That's odd."

"What?"

"The jar – it's warm," Sam uttered, holding it out for him to feel. "I don't understand. It's just been sitting here on the counter."

"Well, if anyone can find out why, it'll be you, Major," O'Neill told her with a small grin. "Have a good night."

"You too, sir," she said, glancing over her shoulder as he left.

'_That man is definitely more bark than bite…'_ she thought before turning her attention back to the curiously warm container grasped in her hands.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Early morning hours graced the SGC with peace and order, providing the perfect time to do work requiring deep thought. Daniel Jackson sat at the conference table in the briefing room, his research splayed out before him. Absently chewing on the top of his pen, he stared at the photo in his hands, totally lost in the image. He'd been at the base for several hours, having taken up residence in the briefing room after deciding he needed a larger surface to spread out on. Now in amongst the reams of paper, empty coffee cups, and breakfast bar wrappers, he hoped to find the answer to the message found on P4X-564.

Slumped back in his chair, Daniel sighed and drained the last of his coffee in one mouthful. Glancing back behind him to see if the next pot was done percolating, he caught sight of someone heading his way through the star map window.

"Morning, Jack," he called, spinning around in his seat, heading for a refill.

"Morning," O'Neill muttered, scarcely noticing the mess that occupied the table as he dropped heavily into his chair. He picked up one of the images and studied it with half open eyes, his face void of emotion. "Any luck?"

"Not really. I'm having a hard time with the – wow… looks like someone didn't sleep well," Daniel uttered as he took his seat. "Rough night?"

"Me? No, I slept like a baby," O'Neill replied dryly, folding his arms across a pile of paper and resting his head on them. As he predicted, his entire being ached from the day before, and he was working on a headache that defied most. "What gave it away?"

"Oh, I don't know. But the dark circles under your eyes and five o'clock shadow are a good start," he said, pushing his glasses up his nose. The Colonel just grunted and kept his head down, not in the mood for small talk.

After only a few blissful minutes to doze, O'Neill found himself rudely jolted awake by people moving about as the day shift at the SGC began.

"You won't believe the results that came back on those column samples we took yesterday while on P4X-564," Carter was saying as she and Teal'c entered the conference room, both looking fresh and ready to start the day.

"They're made of rock?" O'Neill answered, not picking his head from the table.

Teal'c frowned, taking his seat across from him. "Are you unwell, O'Neill?"

"Peachy."

"What did you find out?" Daniel asked, taking his eyes off the lethargic form beside him.

Carter leaned forward from where she sat, her eyes bright with the news. "It's made of solid Naquadah!"

"It's _what_!" O'Neill's head shot up from the table, needing to see Carter's face for himself to be sure she was serious.

"I know! It's the largest deposit we've ever come across," she continued. "Do you know what this means?"

"What means?" General Hammond asked as he entered, O'Neill and Carter standing upon his entrance. "Good morning, SG-1. As you were."

"Thank you, sir," Carter said as she and her superior returned to their seats.

"So what's on the docket for today, General?" O'Neill asked, trying to stretch the knot out from between his shoulders. "Gun and run? Reconnaissance? Nap?"

Hammond looked at the Colonel, immediately noticing how pale and tired the man looked. "Colonel, are you okay?"

"Just fine, sir."

Although his answer didn't sound totally convincing, the General decided to proceed with the briefing just the same.

"Your assignments depend on what Dr. Jackson and Major Carter have to tell me about any new information regarding your mission to P4X-564."

Noticing Carter was about to burst at the seams with enthusiasm, Daniel sat back and allowed her to explain the results of the mineral samples in more detail.

"And if what you're saying is true about the other three columns you came across…" Hammond said, trying to sort out what the Major was saying.

"Sir, with just one of those stone columns alone, assuming they're as pure as the early tests show, we could easily power over two dozen Naquadah generators for eight years at least," she finished, allowing the room to fall silent as they all digested what she had said.

"General Hammond, I do believe a return trip to P4X-564 would be in our best interests," Teal'c replied at last, his deep voice catching everyone by surprise.

"I agree. Therefore, I am authorizing…"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Daniel interrupted, standing abruptly from his chair.

"Daniel?" O'Neill asked passively.

"I'm sorry, Jack, General, but we haven't even begun to translate the message on those columns. There's a reason why the Goa'uld haven't claimed that ore for themselves, and if Sam's right about them being some sort of warning – we really have no idea what we're getting ourselves into," he argued. "I guess what I'm saying is I need more time."

Hammond sighed and looked to O'Neill, only to receive a shrug in response. "You present an interesting point, Dr. Jackson, but…"

"Sir, it's obvious these columns have been there for years, centuries even," Daniel pushed when he saw the General hesitate. "What's one more day? Or three?"

"He does have a good point, sir," Carter agreed. "As great of a find this is – it's still there for a reason."

"All right, that settles it. Dr. Jackson, I'm giving you 48 hours to come up with a translation for those stone columns before I send a team out for additional research. I'll put SG-1 on stand down until them. You've all been working hard lately and are due for some Earth based time," Hammond said, directing his last statement towards the disheveled O'Neill. "We have a great deal of work to do, people. You're all dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel sighed as he thumbed through a leather bound book, the old musty pages threatening to crumble as he read. Teal'c had helped him relocate his sea of papers and reference books back to his lab, after General Hammond insisted he needed the room for other business. Now, surrounded by a wall of manuscripts and photos, the two men searched for anything that may lead them to the answers they were searching for.

"Does any of this look familiar to you?" Daniel asked his voice edged with frustration.

"No," Teal'c replied, a deep frown playing across his face.

"I mean I _feel_ like I've seen them somewhere before, but I just can't place it," he uttered, scrubbing a hand through his short hair. "You know what I mean?"

"I do not."

Daniel scowled and absently bit down onto his pen, unsure where to search next. None of the symbols found on the stone columns matched with anything they had come across before while off world. Although they appeared to be Goa'uld, there was something unique about them that set them apart from the references they had on hand.

"Maybe I missed something," Daniel uttered, beginning to doubt his ability to translate the message.

"That is unlikely, Daniel Jackson. You were exceedingly vigilant when dealing with each of the columns," the Jaffa reassured him. "Perhaps its meaning will come to you in time."

"Yeah, but time is exactly what I don't have. In 42 hours, General Hammond is going to send another team through to P4X-564 and if something goes wrong…"

"It will not be your fault."

"Yeah, well some things are easier to accept than others," Daniel muttered, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Deep down he knew Teal'c was correct -- no one would blame him if something did go wrong on a return mission to P4X-564. No one but himself, that is. "I guess all we can do it keep looking. Maybe the answer will just jump out at us or something."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar expression as Daniel replaced his glasses and opened a book. Feeling watched he looked up to find his teammate's confused gaze on him.

"If the answer could 'jump out at us' as you say, than should we not be…"

"Teal'c, it's just a figure of speech," Daniel explained, still forgetting that the man that sat across from him was not of this world. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

With a satisfied nod, Teal'c returned to his reading.

"If you say so, Daniel Jackson."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The morning hours passed uneventfully into the afternoon with little success translating the alien message. Frustrated, drained, and generally feeling sorry for himself, Daniel sat in the commissary surrounded by the other members of SG-1, the team having gathered for lunch. Sitting across from him, Major Carter flipped through several folders of notes and pictures he'd brought along.

"Have you made any progress at all?" she asked, pausing to munch on the ham sandwich she had selected from the buffet. Daniel shrugged as he lifted his soup bowl to drink the last of it.

"Unless you count scanning the message into the computer, no," he replied, wiping his mouth on his hand. "We haven't gotten anywhere."

"Have you tried cross referencing this to the other languages we've collected?"

"Indeed we have," Teal'c replied as he lowered himself into the seat beside her, his tray heaped with various pieces of produce. "Twice."

"We're just missing something -- something important," Daniel muttered, turning to the person beside him, watching as he absently picked at his salad. "You have any thoughts, Jack?"

"What?" O'Neill asked, not paying attention to the conversation that was happening around him. His mind was full of cobwebs, the minor headache he'd started the day with having progressed into a pulsing throb. Even the aspirin he'd taken hadn't helped; his muscles still feeling heavy and sore. Overall, it was making for a very miserable day.

"Do you have any thoughts on the translation?" he repeated.

"Ah, no," the Colonel replied simply, finally accepting the fact that he just wasn't hungry and pushed his meal away.

"Are you going to consume that, O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned, aiming his fork at the untouched wedge of apple pie.

"No, by all means…" the Colonel uttered, barely getting his hand out of the way before the Jaffa eagerly snatched up the dessert. "Have at it."

"Sir, are you okay?" Carter asked, finding his mood to be unusually quiet. "You haven't been yourself today."

"Just grateful for some time off, Major." He could see in her eyes that she didn't believe him, and was thankful when Daniel changed the subject.

"I've tried everything short of a Batman decoder ring – I'm beginning to think it's not meant to be deciphered. At least by us anyway."

As the archeologist continued to think out loud, the Colonel found his mind wandering away from the group. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to alleviate at least some of the discomfort he was in.

'Oy, this headache is the worst…I'd rather take a bump on the head over this. It must be stress – we've been off world so much lately with such little time off…' O'Neill found his thoughts abruptly interrupted when a strong wave of nausea struck him, a cold sweat breaking out on his face. Deciding the commissary wasn't the best place to lose his stomach, he stood hastily, startling his team as his chair clattered to the floor. 

"Colonel, what's wrong?" Carter demanded, seeing the disorientation in her commanding officer's paling face.

"O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, getting to his feet.

His stomach once again demanding his full attention, O'Neill took a few steps towards the door before vertigo caused the floor to buckle and sway beneath him.

"Whoa…" he uttered, reaching for the table to steady himself, only to be caught by Teal'c moments before passing out completely.

"Get a medical team down here now!" Carter shouted over the quickly forming chaos as the room's occupants wanted to know what was going on.

"Teal'c, keep everybody back, let's give him some room," Daniel said as he knelt down and tucked his wadded up jacket under O'Neill's head. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," Sam replied, instinctively checking for a pulse against his neck. Relaxing slightly when she felt a rapid thudding against her fingers, she moved her hand up to push away his sweat matted bangs.

"He'll be all right," Daniel said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I know," she uttered, forcing herself to nod in agreement. Only when he moved away to help clear a path for the medical team did she add in a low voice: "You damn well better be."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

O'Neill balanced on the edge of the bed that he'd woken up in twenty minutes before, his face resting in his hands. The sterile smell of the infirmary kept reminding him that he wasn't dreaming, and he had really passed out in front of his team and a whole room of SGC personnel. Although no longer nauseous, his head still ebbed with pain, the bright florescent lights of the room only making it worse.

"Colonel, how are you feeling?" Dr. Janet Fraiser asked, her petite form appearing at his side. He felt her warm hand wrap around his wrist as she checked his pulse for the hundredth time since he'd come to.

"Better," he uttered, his words muffled by his hands. "I think I just stood up too fast."

"What made you jump up like that, sir?" Carter inquired as she, Daniel, Teal'c, and General Hammond approached his bedside.

"I don't know," he answered, lifting his face from his hands to see the entire group mirroring the same look of concern.

"Major Carter tells me you've been behaving strangely all day. Is there something going on we need to know about?" Hammond asked, pretending not to see the irritated glance he shot at her.

"No, sir, I'm just tired," O'Neill replied, quickly becoming uncomfortable at being the center of attention. He turned to Fraiser who was tugging a blood pressure cuff from his arm. "Can I go now?"

"Well, sir, my better judgment tells me I should keep you here at least until your lab results come back," she said, continuing quickly when he opened his mouth to argue. "_But_ since your vital signs have returned to normal, I have decided to let you go home and get some rest."

"Oh, I think I can manage that," O'Neill said, standing up and tucking his jacket under his arm.

"There is one condition, Colonel," Fraiser added, holding up a hand to stop him. "I don't want you driving for a while. Having vertigo behind the wheel isn't…"

"As much fun as it sounds," he finished for her, frowning at the restriction. "Gotcha."

"I can drive you home, Jack," Daniel volunteered, a little too willingly for O'Neill's liking. "It can be a sort of restitution for when I pushed you in the water yesterday."

The Colonel cringed at the memory, suddenly able to feel and smell the slimy water all over again.

"I don't want to leave my truck here overnight," he said before realizing how lame the excuse sounded.

"I can drive your truck."

"And have to take a cab all the way back here…"

"Well, you still have your couch, don't you?" Daniel asked, seeming to have worked out the whole plan beforehand.

"Last time I checked…"

"And we both have to be back here in the morning."

"So…?"

"_So_, why don't I stay at your place tonight? I can keep working on the translation and I'll be around in case you need anything," Daniel concluded simply.

O'Neill shook his head and began to leave the infirmary as he spoke.

"Daniel, I need a ride home, not a babysitter."

"Actually, Colonel," Dr. Fraiser's voice causing him to hesitate in the doorway. "I like this idea even better. I'd feel more confident knowing there was someone with you tonight rather than you being alone."

"D'oh…" O'Neill grumbled, realizing he was too out numbered and tired to argue the issue further. With a muted sigh, he turned to the grinning archeologist. "Fine. Just don't expect ghost stories and pillow fights."

Watching the two men leave, Teal'c turned to Carter with a frown of thought across his face.

"Major Carter, what is this 'pillow fight' that O'Neill speaks of?"

A wide smile spreading across her face, she took his muscular arm to lead him from the infirmary. "How about I show you?"

"Are you sure he's all right to be sent home?" Hammond asked once he and the doctor were alone.

"He should be, sir, as long as he takes it easy," she explained, trying to convince herself as much as the General. "I'll know more in a few hours when I get his blood work back. Besides, I think he's more likely to rest at home and now he's got Daniel looking out for him."

Hammond nodded and couldn't help but smile at her last statement. "Dr. Jackson is certainly going to have his hands full."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A waning moon hung low in the night sky over O'Neill's cabin-like house, its white paint glowing in the tree filtered light. One set of windows was lit from inside; the varying glow indicating a television was playing somewhere within. In the yard, crickets chirped away enthusiastically, their tiny songs a symphony in the night.

Inside the single story residence, O'Neill lounged contentedly in an old recliner, hardly paying attention to the late night news that played on the TV. The cobwebs that had filled his mind earlier were beginning to return, along with a steadily worsening headache. Shifting slightly in his seat, he tried to ease the discomfort in his stomach that the Chinese food he'd had for dinner was beginning to cause.

"Jack. Jack? Earth to Jack!"

"What?" he snapped, momentarily dizzy when he swung his head around to look at the person who was annoying him.

"I just asked you a question," Daniel replied, occupying the couch across the room. "Two actually. Where are you tonight anyway?"

O'Neill scowled, not at all in the mood for talking. He snatched up his half finished bottle of beer and drained it in one long pull before pushing himself up out of the chair.

"I'm going to bed," he grunted, dropping the TV remote on the coffee table and leaving the den without another word. Listening to his fading footsteps as he left, Daniel flinched when he heard the bedroom door close with a sharp bang.

"Good night to you too, Jack," he uttered dryly, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. It was getting late – almost 1100 according to the clock that hung over the mantle. He looked at the piles of paper that were strewn all over Jack's coffee table and sighed. Part of him wanted to stay up and keep plugging away at the alien message, while the other half was dog tired and ready to sleep for days. "There's always tomorrow…"

Deciding sleep was the way to go, Daniel used the remote to turn off the TV and set his glasses on the low table beside him. Grabbing a well-used olive drab blanket off the back of the couch, he stretched his long form out the best he could and settled in for the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As a comforting warmth wrapped itself gently around his body, all the cares in the Universe seemed to slip from his mind. Wherever this place was, he felt safe, secure, and at total peace with himself and the surrounding world. He dared not open his eyes for fear that this bliss would evaporate before he'd had a chance to thoroughly enjoy it. However, knowing well from past experiences, all good things eventually come crashing to an end. And even as warm, sweet smelling, and soothing as this mysterious place was, it would prove to be no exception. Just as he was beginning to drift into a peaceful slumber, he found himself rudely awakened by the metallic, rotten egg smell of sulfur.

Sitting up with a groan and rubbing his eyes, Daniel tried unsuccessfully to bring his surroundings into focus before sliding his glasses into place. Once able to see, he found he was no longer on Jack's couch, but on some kind of gravelly beach. Looking around, the only landmark he could find was an expansive river filled to its banks with black, disgusting water.

"This looks just like P4X-564," Daniel thought aloud, his voice echoing all around him. Standing up, he made his way to the river's edge and looked in, his reflection staring back at him from the water's surface. Mesmerized by his own image, he failed to notice the low creaking sound when it started. "I don't understand, where are the stone colum…"

The words faded from his throat as he turned around, immediately coming face to face with a monstrous stone object that had not been there just moments before. Standing taller and wider than any tree he'd ever seen stood an enormous stone column, its sheer presence demanding his full attention.

"Oh my god…" he breathed as he craned his neck back to try and see where the gigantic item ended, his boonie hat falling to the ground. If he had to guess, he estimated it to stand at least as tall as the Stargate – if not several meters more. The low creaking, he realized, was coming from the column itself as it swayed under its own oppressive weight. As he gazed up with his jaw agape at the impressive sight, Daniel observed it bore the same alien message as its smaller counterparts.

"This is too strange…" he uttered, retrieving his fallen hat and cramming it back on his head. "It's impossible to build something like…"

"Help!" A sudden cry interrupting his thoughts.

"What? Hello?" Daniel spun around on his heel, scanning the area around him for the person who had shouted.

"Help me! Please!"

Shading his eyes against the harsh sunlight, he finally made out a person thrashing around in the river at least a hundred meters away.

"Daniel!"

"Jack?" Recognizing the voice, he ripped off his jacket and made his way to the water's edge, the wonders of the monstrous column all but forgotten. With as much thrust as he could muster, Daniel launched head first towards the water's surface, determined to save his friend.

"Agh!" A shout of pain and surprise escaped his lips as he found himself flying backwards through the air, some sort of hidden force field having prevented his entry into the water. Impacting the ground with a grunt, Daniel tried to shake the cobwebs from his head, his body tingling from the impact.

"Help!"

"Jack!" Snapping back into rescue mode, he peeled himself from the ground and once again ran to the water's edge, stopping just short of where he got zapped the previous time.

"Daniel! It's got me!" O'Neill called, his struggles beginning to slow as he grew tired. Tentatively, the archeologist reached out to see if the force field was still there, cursing when it zapped him a second time.

"I can't get to you!" he shouted, pacing the shoreline, looking for another way through.

"Daniel, please!" His words garbled as he started to go underwater.

"I-I can't! There's a force field! There's no way!" Hands clutching his head in frustration, Daniel could only watch as one of the best men he'd ever known finally stopped struggling and disappeared beneath the water's oily surface without a trace.

"Nooooooo!" Shaking with infuriated sobs, Daniel fell to his knees and pounded his fists angrily against the stony ground. "Jack, I'm so sorry – I let you down… I let you down again…"

His sobs gradually fading, Daniel slowly picked his head up from the ground and gazed at the last place he had seen his friend alive. To his surprise, the river had somehow gone from free flowing water to a solid black mass.

"That's impossible," he uttered, standing up and walking to the edge of the river. "All of this is impossible…" Eyes locked on what had once been a sulfur scented liquid, Daniel realized there was something reflecting off the glassy surface. Squinting against the sun's glare, his eyes widened when he recognized what he was witnessing.

"It's the message," he said, his voice rising in excitement. "The symbols – I can read them now! I can…"

**CRRRRAAAACK!**

The sound of a deafening fracture forced him to cover his ears as he fought to stay on his feet, the ground beginning to shake violently.

"Infantile Tau'ri!" A distorted voice shouted, resonating off the clouds in the sky. Apprehensive about what he might see, Daniel slowly turned to see the massive stone column teetering back and forth, a jagged break along its base.

"That can't be good," he muttered, taking a few cautious steps away from the unstable rock.

"You did not heed my warning," the deep voice said.

"What warning?" Daniel asked, turning around to come nose-to-nose with a glowing pair of eyes. "You're a Goa'uld!"

The hand device appeared and activated even before the archeologist knew what hit him. Launched backwards through the air, Daniel struck the ground with a grunt as all the air was forced out of his lungs. Gasping as he peeled himself off the ground, he staggered forward to try and get a better look at his assailant. Getting as close as he dared, Daniel observed a man of average height and build, his skin fair and hair dark. He wore a gray tunic with an oddly textured apron wrapped around his chest, dark brown boots, and a white rope belt completing his outfit.

Despite being humanoid in appearance, what he did next made it very clear that he was as far from being a normal human being as possible. With eyes closed and hands open towards the sky, the man began to elevate the massive stone column until it floated effortlessly over his head.

"Holy…" Daniel breathed, not quite believing what he was seeing. Backing up warily, he quickly found himself sprawling on the ground as he tripped over the uneven stump where the column had stood moments before.

"For ignoring my counsel, you shall suffer greatly," the man said, his voice deep and commanding.

"Wait! Who are you? What warning? What counsel?" Daniel shouted, watching in disbelief as the stone column began to silently float towards him. "Oh, no. No!" Jumping to his feet in an attempt to run, he managed only a few steps before being returned to the ground by another discharge from the hand device.

Quickly rolling to his back on impact, Daniel watched as the column's shadow spread across the ground, mere meters away. Unable to escape, he brought his hands up in front of his face in a futile attempt to protect himself.

"Perhaps now you will observe the words of the wise!" Offering no time to question his warning, the Goa'uld dropped his hands to his sides sending the levitating column crashing down on the helpless Daniel below.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Noooo...!" Daniel cried as he sat bolt upright and looked wildly around, trying to figure out where he was. Hands fumbling in the dark, he managed to locate and switch on the lamp beside him, a warm light illuminating the small room. "Oh, wow... Talk about a nightmare."

His heart still pounding deafeningly in his ears, he swung his feet over the side of the sofa and reached for his glasses on the coffee table. Sliding them on his nose, Daniel took a moment to look around Jack's den, reassuring himself that he was awake, alive, and safe. He stole a glance at the clock over the mantle, sighing to see it was only 2 in the morning.

"That's the last time I eat fried rice before bed," he uttered, taking a deep breath in attempt to slow his adrenaline charged body. Trying to come up with a possible meaning for his dream, Daniel picked up one of the column photos from the table and began studying it.

'_How come they looked so different in my dream?' _he thought, gazing at the symbols that he'd come to both respect and despise over the past few days. _'I'm probably just confusing them with others I've seen… it must mean something though.'_

A muted thud from somewhere in the house made Daniel's head snap up from the image, his ears straining to detect where it originated from. It wasn't long before he heard the creak of an opening door and the thudding of heavy footsteps slowly coming towards him. Tossing the photo aside, he stood and went to the wall that divided the den from the kitchen, peering around to see who was there.

"Jack?" Daniel asked quietly, the person finally coming into view through the dim lighting. Virtually staggering down the hallway, O'Neill was using the wall to keep himself upright, his feet dragging almost drunkenly. The man's gray Air Force T-shirt was plastered to his body with sweat, his silvering hair at impossible angles on top of his head. "Jack, are you all right?"

When O'Neill didn't answer as he passed into the kitchen, Daniel found himself starting to wonder if he was sleepwalking. Keeping a safe distance away, he watched as the Colonel ambled over to the sink and turned the cold water on full force. As the water gushed from the faucet, he just stood and watched, seemingly hypnotized by the splashing flow.

"Jack…" Daniel uttered, slowly walking up beside him. He knew how dangerous it could be to startle a sleepwalker, and the fact that he was approaching a war seasoned military officer was making him even more cautious. Getting no reaction, he carefully reached out and touched O'Neill's arm, troubled by how hot it felt. "Jack, what are you doing?"

To the archeologist's surprise, he turned to look at him, his eyes far away and blood shot. "Jack?"

Noticing as his friend's knees suddenly began to grow weak, Daniel rushed to steady him, helping lower him to the floor.

"Okay, why don't we sit for a minute?" he suggested, propping O'Neill up against the white refrigerator door. "Jack, what's going on?"

"Drink…" the Colonel replied, almost too quietly to be heard.

"You want a drink? Okay, umm…" Daniel said, standing up and retrieving a glass from the counter. Quickly filling it under the still running tap, he returned and handed it over to O'Neill who drained the entire contents in a few deep swallows. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks," he uttered hoarsely, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand and rubbing the back of his neck with the other. "Oy, this damn headache won't let go." Daniel frowned as he picked up the empty glass and took it to the sink.

"Can I use your phone?" he asked, O'Neill replying with a simple hand gesture. "Thanks."

Taking the cordless phone from the wall, Daniel stepped down into the den and out of hearing range before turning it on. With an anxious sigh, he keyed in the seven-digit number and put the phone to his ear, waiting for someone to pick up on the other end.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The small, boxy room was dark, quiet, and cool, the chilly night air having seeped in through an open window above the bed. Fingers of silver moonlight spread onto the beige carpet, illuminating the plush blue robe crumpled in a pile on the floor. As peaceful as the night was, a familiar ring soon disturbed the air, causing the form in the bed to roll over with a muted groan.

Searching blindly for the light switch, Doctor Fraiser cursed at the ringing phone beside her, not particularly thrilled to be awakened at such an hour. After turning on the small table lamp, she pulled her head out from under her pillow and picked up the phone.

"This had better be good," she muttered, half expecting to hear her adopted daughter Cassandra's voice on the other end. The young girl was at her first slumber party and her nerves had been high about making it through the night someplace strange. But when the voice turned out to be familiar and male, she immediately woke up.

"Daniel, what's wrong?"

Listening carefully as the man on the line spoke, she couldn't help but begin to berate herself for not trusting her gut feelings earlier. Although the Colonel's blood work had come back clean, something had stuck uncomfortably in the back of her mind the entire evening, constantly making her wonder if she should have kept him at the base overnight.

"You did the right thing by calling," she replied, reluctantly starting to force herself to sit up and leave the comforting warmth of her bed behind. "I shouldn't have let him leave the infirmary yesterday, something just wasn't right. Okay, give me 20 minutes to get moving and then meet me at the infirmary."

She couldn't help but smile as she listened to Daniel's doubts about O'Neill's willingness to go. The man would rather suffer alone than admit he was in need of help, a trait he'd demonstrated on more than one occasion.

"I'm making it an order then, something he won't refuse," Fraiser told him, rummaging through her closet for something warm to put on. "Make sure he knows that. I'll see you two in a bit."

Replacing the phone on its receiver, she eyed the digital clock on her dresser, discovering it was just past 2:15. With a sigh, she picked her crumpled robe up from the floor and headed for the bathroom, in need of a quick shower to wash away the remnants of sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hanging up the phone, Daniel reentered the kitchen to find the Colonel still leaning against the refrigerator, his face buried in his shaking hands. Not looking forward to announcing they had a field trip to take, Daniel picked up O'Neill's leather jacket from by the door before kneeling down beside him.

"Jack, we need to go for a little ride," he said, trying to make it sound as inconspicuous as possible.

"Where do you think you're going at this hour?" O'Neill asked, looking up with unfocused eyes, his pale face shiny with perspiration.

"Just out for some air," Daniel replied, standing up and turning away to keep his expression from being read.

"Daniel, you're a horrible liar. What's going on?"

"I need to get you back to the SGC," he explained, continuing before his friend could argue. "Janet's meeting us there, she wants to see you."

"Is that why you wanted to use the phone?" O'Neill demanded, the pain in his head momentarily traded for the pain of a man that stood before him. "Damn it Daniel, it's two in the morning, for cryin' out loud!"

"Jack, look at yourself. You're sick!" Daniel insisted firmly. "I just watched you come out of your room, turn the water on, and stare at it for almost two minutes before nearly passing out." He paused, their hardened eyes meeting in a momentary deadlock. "Janet's meeting us at the base infirmary in less than twenty minutes. We need to leave."

"I'm sorry, but the only place I'm going is back to bed," O'Neill declared, pushing himself up from the floor. While getting to his feet the ground seemed to shift beneath his weight, the only thing preventing him from falling backwards was Daniel's reflexive grasp.

"I'm afraid it's an order, Jack," he said, propping him up against the fridge again.

"An order?" O'Neill exclaimed, emitting a sarcastic snort. "Daniel, last time I checked our uniforms, mine said "Colonel" and yours said "geek." You don't give the orders around here."

"And last time _I_ checked the uniforms, they didn't say a thing," Daniel said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms in front of him.

"Well, they should," the Colonel uttered, more to himself than anyone. Sighing, the archeologist shook his head.

"You sure are good at changing the subject, aren't you?" he asked, dropping the leather coat in his lap. "My point, Jack, is that Dr. Fraiser has made it a direct order for you to report to her. We have to go."

O'Neill sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, the forgotten headache rapidly returning. The argument with Daniel had been tiring, leaving him with nothing left to fight with. Shoulders slumped with defeat he motioned towards the door.

"Fine." Allowing Daniel to help him stand, the Colonel tugged on his coat as he slowly made his way to the door. "There's one condition."

"Oh, and what's that?" Daniel asked, pulling on his own jacket and shoes. He began to help O'Neill on with his shoes only to be swatted away.

"I'm driving myself."

"Okay, I see two problems with that plan," he replied, selecting a black ball cap from a hook by the door. "One, or _A_, you're in no condition to drive. And two, or _B_, I still have your truck keys."

"Damn," O'Neill uttered, watching as his keys appeared from his friend's pocket and were dangled in front of his face. Before pulling open the door, Daniel reached up and stuffed the hat down over the Colonel's head.

"Trust me on this," he said, clapping him on the arm.

"Hair that bad?" O'Neill asked, stepping out onto the porch, the cool night air bracing against his hot skin.

"Oooh yeah."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A warm morning sun peeked lazily from behind the horizon, sending endless beams of shimmering light towards the heavens. An early fall frost clung in the Colorado air, the local plant life cloaked in a blanket of ice crystals. Random birds called in the distance, their prattling songs signaling the start of a new day.

The car door of an earlier arriver slammed shut in the parking lot of Cheyenne Mountain, the thud echoing in the open space. Taking her jacket from the hood of her car, Major Carter looked up at the rising sun, basking for a moment in its warmth. Although many of the planets the team visited had beautiful climates, there was nothing quite like the warming rays of Earth's own fiery star.

With a contented sigh, Sam turned to head into the base, reporting early for work as she usually did. She hoped to get some time to take a look at the water samples collected from P4X-564, the questions of its purpose still floating around in her mind. As she made her way through the parking lot, two familiar vehicles in the distance caught her eye. O'Neill's forest green truck sat next to Daniel's car, both possessing ice frosted windows, leading her to believe neither one had moved for quite some time.

_'That's odd,'_ she thought, slipping her gloveless hands into her pockets for warmth. _'They both left before I did yesterday.' _Although she knew it wasn't uncommon for Daniel to arrive early for work, it was almost unheard of for the Colonel. _'Unless there's something major going on, but wouldn't they have called me in for that? The only other thing it could be is…' _

Her thoughts dwindled as she passed by another familiar car, its windows also glazed over with the morning frost.

_'That's Janet's car. She only comes in early if someone's injured or sick…'_

"The Colonel!" as the memories of the previous day flooded her mind, Sam bolted for the entrance of the mountain, hoping for once that her conclusions were off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Daniel sat slumped back in his chair, he swirled the last mouthful of coffee around in the ceramic mug he held. Even though it was just past 0700, it had already been a long morning for them all, and their day hadn't even officially begun yet. He gazed through the large glass window in front of him to see O'Neill below, comfortably tucked into the isolation room's single bed.

"You seem worried, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, joining him at the window.

"I am," he admitted, propping his chin in his hand. "I always worry when someone I care about is sick. Aren't you worried?"

"I have faith in Doctor Fraiser and her abilities to heal," the large man replied. "Do you not?"

"Of course I do. Janet's great at what she does," Daniel answered. "I guess I just can't help listening to that little voice in the back of my mind saying 'what if…?'"

Teal'c tipped his head at his teammate's comment.

"Do you hear these voices often?" he asked, visibly disturbed.

"It's just an expression, Teal'c," Daniel reassured him with a smile. "I don't actually hear voices."

"I see." He seemed unconvinced but dropped the topic.

"All right, what's going on?" Major Carter demanded, pounding up the steps to the observation deck. Both men did a double take at her winded, tousled appearance, her eyes wide with apprehension.

"Morning to you too, Sam," Daniel muttered, doubting she heard him as her eyes had immediately gone to the window.

"What happened?" she panted, slowly recovering from just having set a new time record for signing in and changing into her work uniform.

"O'Neill has become ill once again. Daniel Jackson brought him here at approximately 0300 this morning," Teal'c explained.

"What's wrong with him?" Sam asked, feeling for a chair and sitting down without taking her eyes from her commanding officer below.

"In simplest terms, he's sick," Dr. Fraiser said, appearing in the doorway with a manila folder in her hands. "Morning, Sam."

"Morning, Janet," Carter uttered, realizing how awful her hair looked and began trying to fix it in the window's reflection. "What's going on?"

"I just got the Colonel's blood work back and it seems he has a significant concentration of a previously unidentified bacteria in his system," Fraiser explained, flipping through the papers in the folder. "I've currently got my whole research team working on classifying it so we can treat him properly. Right now he's experiencing symptoms of a common influenza: elevated temperature, weakness, muscle aches, and a really bad headache. I've made him as comfortable as I can and started him on a broad-spectrum antibiotic just to get things moving in the right direction. All we can do for now is wait and see what my team comes up with."

"Is he contagious?" Sam asked.

"We don't _think_ so," the doctor replied. "No one he's been in contact with has developed any of the symptoms. It seems whatever made him sick did so through physical means."

"In other words, if it were airborne we'd all be sick?" Daniel questioned, finishing his now cold coffee in one swig.

"Exactly," Fraiser said, tucking the folder under her arm. "However, I would like to get a blood sample from each of you, just to be on the safe side. We can do that right now if you all have a minute?"

"Sure," Daniel said, standing up and rapping his mug against the table. "Why not?"

With a final somber look to their sleeping leader, the three members of SG-1 followed their lab coat clad friend out of the observation room and towards the infirmary.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Major Carter lifted the piece of gauze and looked down at the crook of her arm, checking to see if she was still bleeding where Janet had jabbed her several minutes before. Satisfied the wound had closed, she pocketed the wadding and quietly made her way through the entrance that stood before her. Peering in the doorway, she checked to see if the room's occupant was aware of her presence, not wanting to disturb them if they were asleep.

"Colonel?" she called quietly, her ears picking up the soft, rhythmic tone of a heart monitor.

"Door's open, Carter," O'Neill said, his voice lacking its usual certainty. She walked slowly over to his bedside, unsure if he wanted the company or not. As she approached she could see he was clad in teal scrubs, the deep color contrasting strongly against his pallid skin. Once at his side, she noticed the lack of spark in his dark eyes, the fatigue and pain displayed across his face making him appear older than he was.

"How're you doing, sir?" she asked, sitting down on a metal stool she pulled from behind the bed.

"Been better, been worse," he replied, closing his eyes and reaching up to hold the bridge of his nose. "You?"  
"Me? Oh, I'm good," she answered, nodding. "Doing good, really…"

"Good?" O'Neill finished for her with a small smile.

"Yeah," she uttered, returning a grin.

"Here a little early, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir, I came in to start an analysis on the water samples we took from P4X-564. I'm hoping its molecular composition will shed some light on the purpose…"

"Carter!" O'Neill said as loudly as he dared for the sake of his head. "A simple 'yes' would have sufficed."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

A moment of awkward silence passed, Sam wondering if the Colonel had fallen asleep. She was about to leave when she heard someone else approaching the room, relieved when it was Teal'c and Daniel who entered.

"How you doing, Jack?" Daniel asked, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Never better, Danny," O'Neill replied, not opening his eyes. "Top of the world."

"How can that be, O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned, a deep frown on his face. "Did you not tell Doctor Fraiser that you felt as if you had been continuously zatted mere hours before?"

"He's being sarcastic, Teal'c," Daniel explained. "It's his way of drawing attention away from himself."

"Oh, it is not," O'Neill muttered, finally looking up.

"It is to," Daniel replied.

"Is not."

"To."

"Not."

"To."

Returning his face to his hands, O'Neill groaned loudly in defeat.

"I thought I told you guys that you could have a brief, _pleasant _visit," Dr. Fraiser said as she walked into the isolation room. "The Colonel needs to rest, not argue."

"We were just leaving anyway, Janet," Carter said, standing up and tugging Daniel towards the door by his sleeve. "We have to get to an early briefing with the General anyway. Feel better, sir."

"Thanks," O'Neill uttered, watching as his team left the room. Seeing the disenchanted look in his eyes, the doctor smiled encouragingly.

"You'll be back on your feet in no time, Colonel," she assured him, squeezing his arm. "But for right now, I want you to try and get some rest. It's the best thing you can do for yourself."

"Yes, ma'am," he said quietly, shifting around until his back was facing the door. Reaching down and drawing the blankets up over his fevered form, Janet took one last look at the monitors before leaving the dozing man in peace.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Heavy silence hung in the briefing room as the small group waited for General Hammond to appear from his office. The time was normally filled by Colonel O'Neill's colorful comments about the team's up coming mission, but now there was only the rhythmic flipping of paper as Daniel scanned through the same folder for the hundredth time. Although quiet, they all shared the same thought: why was O'Neill the only one sick, and more importantly, how could they make him well again?

"I'm sorry to keep you all waiting," General Hammond said as he ambled into the spacious conference room. "I was familiarizing myself with Dr. Fraiser's latest report. Do we have any idea where this bacteria came from?"

"I'm presuming Colonel O'Neill picked it up when SG-1 traveled to P4X-564," Fraiser replied, having joined the others to help make sense of their current situation.

Hammond took his seat at the head of the table. "Then why is he the only one who's sick?"

"It's hard to say, General. Perhaps he was the only one who was susceptible to it, or maybe he came into contact with something that the others didn't," she explained. Hammond turned to address the present members of SG-1, noting the look of concern present on all their faces.

"Is this possible?"

"Ah… sure," Sam replied, considering her commanding officer's tendency to touch items that peaked his curiosity. "Teal'c and I spent most of our time collecting samples and Daniel was busy with the stone columns. The Colonel could have come into contact with something unusual while scouting around…"

"Or the water…" Daniel muttered, more to himself than the others.

"What was that, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond questioned.

"Oh, I was just thinking," Daniel said, flipping to a photo he'd taken of the river on P4X-564. "Jack was the only one of us to make any significant contact with the water."

"Wait, I came into contact with it when I took a sample to bring back for analysis," Carter said.

"As did I during his post mission exam," Dr. Fraiser added. "And neither one of us are exhibiting symptoms or showing any traces of the bacteria in our blood."

"But Jack was the only person to, quite literally, go for a swim," he insisted.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, leaning forward to rest his large forearms on the table. "O'Neill was submerged for several seconds and had to swim for a considerable distance before he could safely come ashore. Would this prolonged exposure not be enough time to make him ill?"

"It's very possible," Dr. Fraiser agreed. "If he swallowed any, had an open wound, or even just the lengthy contact time with his mucus membranes. It certainly would explain why the rest of us aren't developing symptoms."

"Do you consider it a contagion risk, Doctor?" Hammond inquired.

"If what we think is true and we continue to exercise basic precautions, no, sir, I don't," she answered. "The bacteria should be content to stay right where it is."

"All right," he said, relieved he didn't have to put the entire mountain under quarantine. "Has there been any progress in translating the message found on the stone columns?"

"No, sir, not yet," Daniel replied with a sigh, his eyes locked on an image of the message. "But we're close – I can feel it."

Hammond smiled. He admired the young man's determination and dedication to solving any puzzle that was set before him. "Keep on it, Dr. Jackson."

"Sir, I'd like to take some time to do an in depth analysis of the water we brought back. Maybe it could shed some light on what's happening to Colonel O'Neill," Carter said. "I could use Dr. Fraiser's help too."

"Do it, Major," Hammond affirmed, closing up his briefing folder. "Well people, you have your assignments. Let's find a way to get Colonel O'Neill back on his feet. Dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The cluttered space that Daniel called his office appeared as if it had been turned upside down and shaken like a snow globe. Papers, books, photos, and videotapes occupied all possible surfaces, the archeologist having pulled out every resource he had in the hopes of stumbling across some reference to the mysterious symbols. Now up to their necks in literature, Daniel and Teal'c toiled meticulously over every page and double-checked each word.

Hypnotized by a photo of the P4X-564 column in his hands, Daniel suddenly gave a frustrated grunt and slammed it to the table below. Looking up from his own research, Teal'c cocked an eyebrow.

"Is something bothering you, Daniel Jackson?" he asked, watching the man pull off his glasses to rub his eyes.

"Other than the fact Jack's stuck down in the infirmary with an unknown bug coursing through his system …" he stopped his cynical rant and took a deep breath to compose himself. "I was just thinking about a dream I had last night."

"What about?"

"Nah it's… it's too wacky," Daniel uttered, going back to his work.

"Since when has this stopped you in the past?" the large man inquired, his dark eyes revealing a spark of amusement.

"Good point," he agreed, setting aside his book to explain. As he recounted his dream, his friend listened carefully, only interrupting to ask pointed questions. When he was finished, Daniel looked up half expecting to see Teal'c suddenly burst out laughing and declare him certifiably crazy. Much to his relief, the Jaffa's expression hadn't changed a bit, his face still void of all emotion.

"That is a most disturbing dream," he replied finally, interlacing his fingers and resting them on the table. "Being forced to watch helplessly the death of a colleague and then witness one's own demise. It is most troubling."

"Tell me about it," Daniel uttered, just the act of recalling the dream making him anxious.

"And you are certain this being you encountered was in fact Goa'uld?"

"Who else could it be? Those glowing eyes and ridiculous voice?" the scientist sighed and massaged the back of his neck. "What bothers me is I didn't have time to translate the message I saw in the river. I mean I was _so_ close… and now it feels like we're back to square one."

"You guys ran out of luck too, huh?" Both men turned to see Dr. Fraiser entering the lab, the hollow look of defeat in her eyes.

"Janet," Daniel greeted, checking around for a seat to offer her. "I'd give you a chair, if I could find one…"

She held up her hand for him to stop, smiling as his attempts triggered a cascade of books to go crashing to the floor.

"Is something wrong, Dr. Fraiser?" Teal'c asked.

"Sam's gone to find General Hammond for an emergency briefing as we speak," she began, burying her hands in her lab coat pocket.

"What's going on?" Daniel inquired, giving up on the mess at his feet to listen. "Is Jack okay?"

"Colonel O'Neill is doing just fine. However, Sam and I have run into slight problem with the water samples."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

General Hammond sat at the head of the conference table, four pairs of eyes intently awaiting his reaction. At Major Carter's request, he had arranged for an emergency briefing to discuss a potentially serious delay concerning the team's research. And now, after being confronted with the problem, Hammond found himself almost completely speechless.

"Major, I'll be the first to admit that I've heard some damn unusual things since taking command of this project, but this takes the cake. Am I hearing you correctly?" he asked, his face drawn up in a confused frown. "The water sample you collected from P4X-564 is _dead_?"

"Yes, sir," Carter replied, unsure of another way to put it. "Well, it's not so much the water itself…it's the microbes that are… Janet?"

"She's correct, sir," Dr. Fraiser replied, taking over the explanation for her friend. "Neither the original sample from the planet, nor the batch of microscope slides contain any form living organisms, microscopic or otherwise."

"How do you know the water even was umm… alive?" Daniel questioned, feeling rather foolish to be speaking of the liquid in such a manner.

"When I made up the slides 2 days ago, before turning the remaining sample over to Dr. Fraiser's team, I observed an abundance of microbial life under magnification," Carter explained. "When we took them out for analysis earlier today, we found nothing but traces of organic particles in both the slides and what remained of the original sample."

"What do you perceive to be the cause of death?" Teal'c asked, the only person in the room seemingly not bothered by the obscurity of the topic.

"The most logical answer we have is the way in which the sample was stored," Fraiser replied, having already considered other options ranging from photosensitivity to lack of filtration. "While it's not uncommon for specimens placed on slides to die, it is unusual to lose the entire batch when preservation procedures are followed. I'm also curious to why there was so little evidence of life left behind. It's as if all the microbes vanished once they expired."

"So what do you need from me?" the General inquired.

"We need to go back to 564 in order to obtain another sample of the water, sir," Carter told him, apprehensive about his response.

"And risking someone else ending up like Colonel O'Neill? I'm sorry people, I can't authorize that," the man replied firmly. "You'll have to find another way."

Sam fought to keep herself from leaping out of her chair in frustration. "Sir, if we don't do this, we may never find a way to help the Colonel."

"General, if I may," Fraiser jumped in before he could deny her again. "With the limited supply my team had access to, they were able to determine that this microbe is like nothing we've seen here on Earth before. It has unique characteristics that warrant a more detailed study -- there's no telling what we could potentially discover. And, as Major Carter said, we can't determine the best way to help Colonel O'Neill without a living sample of the contagion to experiment on."

"Have you not begun treatment already?" Teal'c asked, missing the accusatory looks of "whose side are you on?" that displayed across Sam and Daniel's faces.

"We've been using trial and error," she answered. "It's not the most effective method, and it's certainly not the safest. So far we've been lucky in that there haven't been any adverse reactions. Now while we have seen some improvement, we're not even close to seeing the satisfactory results where we should be already."

"And, General, we don't necessarily have to _touch_ the water ourselves," Daniel offered, an idea having worked its way into his mind.

"Explain, Dr. Jackson."

"Well, gathering a cup full of water isn't exactly a difficult task," he said quickly, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "I mean it's so simple, even a machine could do it."

Realizing what the archeologist was getting at, a look of enthusiasm flashed across Sam's face. "We could modify an arm on a MALP to do it."

"Couldn't you just send a MALP through the Stargate in place of an SG team?" Hammond inquired.

She shook her head. "No, sir. The river is too far from the Gate to control the MALP from Earth. We'd have to guide it on foot by remote control and on foot. But it would eliminate the need for any of us to come into physical contact with the water."

The General sighed and rubbed his chin.

_'They're clever,'_ he thought meekly. _'I have to give them that much.'_

"When can you be ready to leave?" he finally said, feeling the tension in the room melt into relief. Daniel looked at his watch.

"Well, if I'm correct, P4X-564 is currently in the middle of its 23 hour night cycle, so that would put the sunrise at…" he paused to do the math in his head, his face knotting up in thought. "Approximately 0645 tomorrow morning."

"Can you have a MALP modified by then?" Hammond asked, turning to Sam.

"Yes, sir, no problem."

With a short sigh, he closed up the report folder and stood. "Very well. I am authorizing SG-1 to return to P4X-564 at 0700 in order to obtain a viable sample of the river water. Since Colonel O'Neill is incapacitated, it'll be your command, Major."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied. "Thank you, sir."

"I want safety to be of utmost importance in this mission, people. You have a go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Fraiser frowned at the lab report that sat on the desk in front of her, not quite sure what to make of what she was seeing. As Colonel O'Neill's latest blood work results stared up at her from the sterile white page, she found herself reading and rereading the numbers to be sure she wasn't seeing things. According to the report, his system was nearly free of all the bacteria that had been making him so sick less than 24 hours before. In all her years of practicing medicine, she had never witnessed any microbe react so strongly to an antibiotic before, let alone one that wasn't even from Earth.

With an uncertain sigh, Fraiser glanced up from the paper work and down to the isolation room below, surprised to see its sole occupant awake. Even from where she sat, she could see he was looking better, his face not nearly as pale as it had been earlier that day. Tucking the report under her arm and pushing the chair away from the desk, she made her way down the short flight of stairs to see how her patient was doing.

"I have to admit I didn't expect to see you awake this soon, sir," Fraiser said as she entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad, actually," O'Neill replied, sounding a little surprised by the answer himself.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said as she added the latest report to the file hanging off the foot of the bed. "Your lab results are looking better too. You're getting over this bug much quicker than I had anticipated."

"Well, what can I say?" he asked coolly, laying the bravado on thick for her benefit. "I'm just a model patient."

Fraiser couldn't help but smile at this, shaking her head as she began to check his vital signs. "If you say so, Colonel."

"Say, Doc," he began, using his most persuasive voice. "Since I'm _miraculously _doing so well, is there any chance I could go home soon? You know, like now?"

Plugging her stethoscope into her ears, the doctor placed a hand on his shoulder to help him sit forward.

"I think you know the answer to that. Deep breath, sir," she replied, listening to his breathing for a moment. "If you're still doing better in the morning, I'll _consider_ an early discharge."

"You know I can't stand it here," he muttered, dropping back against the pillows once she was finished. Smiling sympathetically, she reached down and tugged another blanket up over him before dimming the overhead light.

"All the more reason to keep you here, sir," she said, ignoring the snort that came from the man below her. "And if it's any consolation, the rest of your team will be here overnight too."

"What?"

"They have an early departure set for tomorrow morning," she explained, preparing to leave the room.

"Departure? Tomorrow? Where? Why?" The questions coming at her so fast, Fraiser had to raise a hand to cut him off.

"I'm sure you can get one of them to update you in the morning, sir," she assured him, pausing in the doorway. "Right now it's getting late, and I want you to concentrate on getting a good night's rest…"

"But, Doc…"

"…_If_ you want me to even _consider_ letting you go home tomorrow," she finished firmly, her last statement abruptly ending the conversation. Even in the dimmed lighting, she could still see his cheeks puff out in a sigh of frustration as he rolled over in bed. "Good night, Colonel."

"Whatever…" he uttered, before burying his face into the overstuffed pillows.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As a comforting warmth wrapped itself gently around his body, all the cares in the Universe seemed to slip from his mind. Wherever this place was, he felt safe, secure, and at total peace with himself and the surrounding world. He dared not open his eyes for fear that this bliss would evaporate before he'd had a chance to thoroughly enjoy it. However, knowing well from past experiences, all good things eventually come crashing to an end. And even as warm, sweet smelling, and soothing as this mysterious place was, it would prove to be no exception. Just as he was beginning to drift into a peaceful slumber, he found himself rudely awakened by the metallic, rotten egg smell of sulfur.

Sitting up with a groan and rubbing his eyes, O'Neill slowly shook the haze of sleep from his mind before taking in his surroundings. Disturbed to discover he was no longer at the SGC, but in the middle of a gravelly beach, he pushed himself to his feet in order to get a better look around. After donning his sunglasses and checking the status of his weapon, O'Neill soon determined the only landmark to be an expansive river filled to its banks with black, disgusting water.

"What in the hell?" O'Neill thought aloud, his voice echoing all around. Slowly he made his way down to the river's edge and peered in, his tousled reflection staring back from the water's surface. Temporarily captivated by his own image, he failed to notice a low creaking sound when it started. "How did I wind up back on this godforsaken plan…?"

The words died in his throat as he turned around, immediately coming face to face with a monstrous stone object that had not been there just moments before. Standing taller and wider than any tree he'd ever seen stood an enormous stone column, its sheer presence demanding his full attention.

"Holy sh…" he breathed as he craned his neck back to try and see where the gigantic item ended, his black hat falling to the ground. From where he stood at the base, he estimated the object to stand at least as tall as the Stargate – if not several meters more. The low creaking, he realized, was coming from the column itself as it swayed under its own oppressive weight. Squinting through the bright sunlight in order to observe the impressive sight, O'Neill noticed that it had the same alien message carved into the side that Daniel had been studying.

"This wasn't here before…" he uttered, retrieving his fallen hat and cramming it back on his head. "This is totally whacked…"

"Help!" A sudden cry from behind abruptly cut into his thoughts.

O'Neill spun on his heel and shouldered his P-90, scanning the area around him for the person who had shouted.

"Help me! Please!"

Narrowing his eyes to see across the river, he finally spotted a person thrashing around in the water at least a hundred meters away.

"Jack!"

"Daniel?" Recognizing the voice, O'Neill began to jog towards the water's edge, the mysteries of the monstrous column all but forgotten. As he reached down to the river's edge to lower himself into the water, a harsh crack filled his ears followed by an intense surge of pain that radiated throughout his entire body.

"Damn it!" O'Neill shouted as he jerked his hand away from the river's edge, some sort of hidden force field having prevented his entry into the water. "Now that _definitely _wasn't there before."

"Help!"

"Daniel!" Snapping back into rescue mode, he peeled himself from the ground and returned to the water's edge, stopping just short of where he got zapped the previous time.

"Jack! It's got me!" Daniel called, his struggles beginning to slow as he grew tired. Tentatively, the Colonel reached out to see if the force field was still there, cursing when it zapped him a second time.

"I can't get to you from here!" he shouted, prowling the shoreline, looking for another way through.

"Jack, please!" His words garbled as he started to go underwater.

"There's a force field in the way! I can't get around it!" Hands balled into fists of frustration, O'Neill could only watch as one of the most intelligent men he'd ever known finally stopped struggling and disappeared beneath the water's oily surface without a trace.

"Damn it, Daniel! No!" Fighting to control his emotions, O'Neill fell to his knees and punched his fists into the stony ground until his knuckles bled. "Daniel…"

The Colonel sat for some time mourning the loss of his friend, rubbing a flattened stone he'd found between his fingers. As a surge of anger rose from within, O'Neill pitched the stone angrily towards the water, looking up when he heard a clunk rather than a discharge from the force field. To his surprise, the force field had vanished and the river had somehow gone from free flowing water to a solid, black mass.

"No way," he uttered as he walked to the edge of the river, his eyes falling on the rock he had thrown resting on its hard surface. "None of this can be real…" Scrutinizing the area that moments before had been liquid, O'Neill noticed there was something reflecting off the now glassy surface. Shading his eyes against the sun's glare, the Colonel drew his head back when he realized what he saw.

"It's the symbols from the post," he muttered, rising onto his toes to get a better look. "But they're different, they're back…"

**CRRRRAAAACK!**

The sound of a deafening fracture forced him to cover his ears as he fought to stay on his feet, the ground beginning to shake violently.

"Infantile Tau'ri!" A distorted voice shouted, resonating off the high clouds in the sky. Apprehensive about what he might see, O'Neill slowly turned to see the massive stone column teetering back and forth, a jagged break along its base.

"Oh, now that can't be good," he breathed, taking a few cautious steps away from the unstable rock.

"You did not heed my warning," the same deep voice said.

"Warning?" O'Neill spat, turning around to come nose-to-nose with a glowing pair of eyes. "You're a Goa'uld!"

The hand device appeared and activated even before the Colonel knew what hit him. Launched backwards through the air, O'Neill struck the ground with a grunt as all the air was forced from his lungs. Gasping, he picked himself up and staggered forward, attempting to get a better look at his assailant. Getting as close as he dared, O'Neill observed a man of average height and build, his skin fair and hair dark. He wore a gray tunic with an oddly textured apron wrapped around his chest, dark brown boots, and a white rope belt completing his outfit.

Despite being humanoid in appearance, what he did next made it very clear that he was as far from being a normal human being as possible. With eyes closed and hands open towards the sky, the man began to elevate the massive stone column until it floated effortlessly over his head.

"Aww crap…" O'Neill uttered, not quite believing what he was seeing. Backing up warily, he quickly found himself sprawling on the ground as he tripped over the uneven stump where the column had stood moments before.

"For ignoring my counsel, you shall suffer greatly," the man said, his voice deep and commanding.

"_What_!" O'Neill shouted, watching in disbelief as the stone column began to silently float towards him. "Oh, not a chance!" Lifting his gun from his position on the ground, the Colonel swiftly took aim and squeezed the trigger, a spray of bullets coursing through the air towards his glowing-eyed adversary. No sooner had the weapon fired did the figure return to life, raising the hand device and activating its protective shield. Watching in disgust as the bullets clattered harmlessly to the ground, O'Neill soon found himself immersed in the hovering stone column's shadow with nowhere to run.

"Perhaps now you will observe the words of the wise!" Offering no time to question his warning, the Goa'uld dropped his hands to his sides sending the levitating column crashing down onto the helpless Colonel below.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sighing as she entered her assigned VIP room, Major Carter felt along the wall for the light switch before shutting the door. As the soft lights flickered to life, she looked around at the modest accommodations, her eyes passing from the narrow bed to the small table and sitting chair at the back of the room. There was another door opposite the entrance that led into a small bathroom complete with a shower. It certainly wasn't as lavish as the rooms they offered to their most esteemed guests, but then again, it sure beat falling asleep at her desk.

Dropping down onto the bed with a grunt, Sam frowned when the mattress failed to yield under her weight. Maneuvering around in an attempt to find a comfortable position, she finally gave up and settled for laying on her back with her head resting on her hands. Shutting her eyes and attempting to relax, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to the events of the past few days. With thoughts spanning from their initial journey to P4X-564, the accident, her superior falling ill, and now apprehension about returning to the planet, her mind simply refused to let her rest.

Before retiring to the room that General Hammond had offered her for the night, Sam had stopped by Daniel's office to see if he'd had any luck with the message. Finding him knee-deep in his work, she learned there'd been no progress since their earlier briefing, a fact that left Daniel believing that maybe it wasn't supposed to be deciphered at all. Having tried unsuccessfully to convince him to call it a day, Sam left her friend in the company of his books and ventured out to see how her commanding officer was fairing.

Her visit to the isolation room had been brief, a nurse having announced upon Carter's arrival that the Colonel was already asleep and not to be disturbed. She'd met up with Janet while leaving the infirmary, the two women ducking into her office to talk. Fraiser had expressed her concerns that although O'Neill appeared to be doing better, she felt his recovery was occurring far too quickly to be genuine. Despite being pleased with his progress, the Doctor was skeptical that an alien pathogen would respond so rapidly to Earth antibiotics. She'd said they might just be experiencing a 'calm before the storm' situation, then openly admitted that she hoped she's was wrong.

Sam sighed and looked up, focusing on a crack that spread across the ceiling above her. She couldn't get the conversation with Janet out of her mind, and now knowing there was a chance the Colonel could deteriorate again, she found herself wishing their trip to P4X-564 could happen sooner than it was. Rolling onto her side, Carter shut her eyes and once again tried to relax on the lumpy, unyielding bed.

_'Well, if anything does happen…'_ she thought, surprised when she actually began to grow drowsy. _'I'm just an elevator ride away.' _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I want his full blood work-up report in my hands five minutes ago!"

An authoritative voice had begun to seep slowly into his returning consciousness, much like how a slow leak gradually drip-feeds a wilting plant. There were other noises surrounding him too: indistinct voices, footsteps, the rustle of paper, a muted hiss, and the unmistakable mechanical beep of an EKG monitor.

He had no idea where he was, the stifling heat that was enclosing him causing his senses to go dull. However, as miserable as the heat was, he found it to be the pain that encompassed his entire body to be the most unbearable. The pain was everywhere: his bones, his joints, his hair, his head…

'_Oy, my head…'_he thought, finding that even the basic act of thought made his mind swarm. He could tell it was no ordinary headache – this one consumed his entire being with a slow, cruel throb every few seconds. The pain churned his stomach, threatened to bring tears to his eyes, and left him feeling so disoriented that he couldn't even tell which way was up. It made every concussion and hangover that he'd ever suffered seem like a blessing.

'_And the worst part_,' he realized, as a blinding light began to pry its way into his mind. '_Is that I'm waking up…'_

"Doctor, he's beginning to come to."

"Colonel O'Neill? I need you to open your eyes if you can hear me. Colonel?"

Someone was talking to him now, trying to draw him away from the safety of his oblivion. He didn't want to wake up; he was just too miserable, too weak, and too sick. All he longed for was a large rock that he could curl up under and die.

"Colonel O'Neill?"

That damned voice just wouldn't leave him alone.

"Colonel, wake up."

The words were sharp now, almost as sharp as the pinch he felt on his neck.

_'Ow! All right, all right…'_he thought, tentatively cracking open his eyes with a groan.

"Ack! Damn those lights!" O'Neill shouted, reeling away from the brightness and slapping a hand down across his eyes.

"Sir, it's all right, please just try to relax." Janet Fraiser was at his side, her meager height towering over him from where he lay. She quickly pushed the overhead lamp off to the side before wrestling his arm free from his face to straighten out the IV line he'd successfully managed to tangle up.

"Doc, what's going on?" he asked meekly, quickly brushing over the oxygen cannula in his nose before rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"Actually, I was hoping _you_ could tell _me_ what was going on, sir. When I left you last night you had me convinced you were ready to go home. Now you're running a temperature of 103 and we've spent the past half hour trying to wake you up. How are you feeling now?"

"Like crap," he uttered quietly, the sound of his own voice clattering around inside his head. "What time is it anyway?"

"A little past 0400," she said, consulting her watch. "And I'd appreciate it if you could elaborate a little on 'like crap' for me, sir."

O'Neill groaned and scrubbed a hand through his sweat matted hair. Finding he was too miserable for his mind to function in its normal, sarcastic manner, he settled on telling her the truth.

"I'm hot, I hurt, and I have a very, _very_, bad headache," he explained, hoping he didn't sound as pathetic to Dr. Fraiser as he did to himself. She nodded, busy making a few notes inside the metal clipboard she was holding. "Not going home today, am I?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Doctor Fraiser, the Colonel's lab results are ready," a nurse said, speaking into the microphone from the observation deck above.

"Excuse me for a moment, sir," the Doctor said, leaving the room to get the report.

O'Neill sighed and shut his eyes, trying to focus on something other than his headache manipulated thoughts. It wasn't long before his mind wandered back to the bizarre dream he'd experienced and what it could possibly mean.

'_What caused Daniel to drown? What did he mean when he said '_they've got me_?' Who what that person holding the rock? Was it really a Goa'uld? What warning did I ignore? Why did he kill me?'_

"Colonel," Doctor Fraiser's voice beside him brought O'Neill back to the present and he opened his eyes. Despite the fire that raged within him, the guarded look on the Doctor's face caused a fierce chill to charge through his body. Noticing the shiver, Fraiser drew another blanket over him before meeting her gaze with his. O'Neill mentally braced himself – this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Colonel, I'm afraid I've got some unexpected and slightly discouraging news. Your lab work shows that although the bacterium has been nearly eliminated from your system, there is now a new virus present. It's something that we've never seen before and it appears to be multiplying at an extreme rate."

O'Neill cocked an eyebrow. "_Slightly_ discouraging, huh? So now what?"

"I've had my people put the work concerning the bacteria on hold and to concentrate their efforts on classifying this new virus. Hopefully it'll cross reference with something we have here on Earth so we can decide on a treatment strategy. Are you getting this all right, sir?"

"What? Oh, yeah, makes perfect sense," he replied, even though he'd only been listening half-heartedly.

As Fraiser continued on with her explanation, O'Neill tuned her out as his mind began to drift. It wasn't so much that he didn't understand what the doctor was telling him – he felt that often enough when dealing with Carter and Daniel. There was just something more bothering him in the midst of all the pains, chills, and one hell of a headache. With Fraiser's voice droning on in the background, O'Neill allowed his thoughts to go back to the events of his dream: Daniel drowning, the Goa'uld, the stillness of the water, the symbols, his own death. What could it all mean?

Letting his eyes wander around the room, he soon found himself mesmerized by the shiny metallic clipboard that Janet had tucked under her arm.

"Colonel?" she asked, noticing his eyes had locked on the object. "What's wrong?"

"I… it means something…" he muttered, reaching up and taking it from her. Turning the chilly piece of metal around in his hands several times, he focused on the reflection of the letters printed along the collar of his teal scrubs: FASU.

_'FASU… I know that… I've seen that before…where?'_

"Colonel O'Neill," Fraiser said, worried when he didn't respond.

'_FASU, FASU, FASU… wait…that's USAF backwards… just like the symbols on that rock…'_ the Colonel thought quickly, the images replaying over in his mind. _'I've gotta tell Daniel about this…'_

"Doc, I need to see…oh god…" He found his request ending in a gasp when an abrupt stab of pain emanated from the back of his head. Sitting up and clutching his forehead, he barely heard the doctor talking to him.

"Colonel, what's wrong?" Fraiser asked, realizing the man's vital signs had suddenly doubled. "Is it your head?" Afraid he'd lose his surging stomach if he opened his mouth to reply, O'Neill simply nodded, feeling as if his head was on the verge of bursting.

"I'm giving you something," she told him, holding the vial and syringe she'd pulled from her pocket up to the light. After withdrawing the proper dosage and emptying it into the IV line, she helped ease the shaky Colonel back onto the pillows, relaxing slightly as the drugs began to calm him down.

"Thanks," he croaked, taking a few deep breaths to slow his racing heart.

"Just try to relax, sir," Fraiser told him, removing her clipboard from his grasp. "Doc…"

"Sir, you need to rest." Reaching up to rest a cool hand against his face, the doctor frowned and removed most of his blankets upon discovering just how hot he was.

"No…" O'Neill persisted, despite his rapidly clouding mind. "I need to see… Daniel."

"Daniel? Colonel, he's sleeping right now. As you should be," she said, watching as the man's eyes finally dropped shut. "I'll be sure to have him here when you wake up."

"But I…" As exhaustion and drugs finally began to take their toll, O'Neill reluctantly accepted his defeat and allowed himself to be consumed by the welcoming blanket of darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yawning widely as he walked down the hall, Daniel stretched out his stiff back before slipping on his glasses and turning to Teal'c.

"What?" he asked, seeing the bemused expression on the dark Jaffa's face.

"Did you not sleep well, Daniel Jackson?" he questioned, falling into step beside him.

"I think I got a few hours sleep," Daniel replied, starting up the stairs to the observation deck. "I don't remember much after Sam left to visit Jack last night. I must have dozed off with my nose in a book… something I've been doing a lot of lately."

"That sounds most uncomfortable," Teal'c remarked, himself having experienced an undisturbed kelnorim.

"It is, believe me," Daniel sighed, flashing a wave when Janet came into view. "Morning."

"Morning, guys," the doctor greeted, her smile falling to a concerned frown when she saw how tired Daniel appeared. "Rough night?"

"You could say that," he answered, Teal'c jumping in before he could say more.

"Dr. Jackson has informed me of an unique sleeping technique that he practices."

"Oh?" Janet asked, grateful for the momentary distraction. "What's that?"

"He claims to have often slept with a book on his nose," the Jaffa proclaimed, unaware that he had mistakenly repeated his teammate.

"Really?" she uttered, trying her hardest to conceal her amusement. She turned and shot a playful glance towards the now embarrassed archeologist.

Daniel sighed and cleared his throat, quickly deciding to change the subject. "So, you wanted to see me?"

The fun and games over with, the doctor was immediately back to business. "Actually, it was Colonel O'Neill who wishes to see you."

"What is his current condition?" Teal'c asked, the group turning their attention to the still sleeping man in the room below. Now it was Fraiser's turn to sigh.

"The Colonel had a rough night," she replied, quickly explaining the events that had transpired several hours before to the two men.

"Wow," Daniel uttered, his eyes not having moved from O'Neill the entire time.

"And that's not all," Fraiser added hesitantly, calling up a file on her computer. "I haven't told the Colonel about this yet – he's got too much on his plate already. These are the images assembled from an MRI that was done several hours ago. For reasons I can't explain, he's begun to develop significant inter-cranial swelling, consistent to where a Goa'uld symbiote would join with its host. For right now the inflammation isn't severe enough to be a cause for alarm, but if it gets any worse…"

"And you're sure there's no Goa'uld there?" Daniel asked, his eyes widening at the possibility.

"Positive," she assured him, changing the computer image on the screen to affirm her point. "The MRI clearly shows no symbiote, local trauma, or any other physical explanation for the swelling."

"That's a relief," Daniel uttered, releasing the breath he'd been holding since the word Goa'uld entered the conversation.

"O'Neill appears to be awakening," Teal'c stated, the others turning to see the Colonel wearily rubbing his eyes.

"I'm not sure how cognizant he'll be or for how long," Fraiser said. "You'd better get down there."

"Right," Daniel muttered, motioning for Teal'c to follow. "Thanks, Janet."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two men entered the isolation room as quietly as they could, not wanting to startle its lone occupant. The room was almost deafeningly quiet, the only sound being the low tone of a heart monitor tolling away beside the bed. As they approached, O'Neill gave no indication that he knew two of his teammates were standing beside him, his eyes shut and breathing slow.

"I think he's asleep," Daniel whispered, Teal'c nodding in agreement.

"Daniel?" a tired voice asked, the Colonel sounding nothing like himself.

"I'm here, Jack," he replied, pulling a stool out from behind the bed and sitting down.

"As am I, O'Neill," Teal'c said, bowing his head in a greeting.

"Hey, T."

"So, how are you doing?" Daniel asked, disturbed at how pale the Colonel's perspiring face was.

"Been better, been worse. Got one hell of a headache," O'Neill replied quietly, still not opening his eyes. "It's just so hot in here…"

"Janet said you wanted to see me?" the archeologist inquired, afraid he would lose him before they had a chance to talk.

"Yeah – I had a dream last night, and you were in it."

Daniel drew his head back in surprise and exchanged a puzzled glance with Teal'c.

"Wow, Jack. I don't know whether to be honored or insulted," he said. "Or frightened."

"It was nothing like that," O'Neill muttered, a small smile briefly appearing on his lips. "It's all kinda fuzzy, but I woke up and was back on P…P3…"

"P4X-564," the Jaffa corrected.

"Yeah, that one. I remember being near one of those stone column things… a honkin' big one… bigger than the Stargate…huge…" the Colonel continued, his explanation broken up by frequent pauses to gather his thoughts. "Then someone starts calling for help – it was you, Daniel. You shouted out 'it's got me' right before you drowned."

"_What_?" Daniel uttered, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"I tried to save you," O'Neill insisted. "But…"

Astounded by what he was hearing, Daniel exuberantly finished the Colonel's story in a single breath. "But there was a force field in the way that prevented you from getting to me. And the next time you looked at the water, it had solidified and you could see the symbols from the column floating on the surface. But the moment you realize this, the column suddenly cracks and you're confronted by what appears to be a Goa'uld. He tells you that you didn't heed his warning, levitates the honkin' big column over his head, goes onto say something about 'words of the wise,' and then drops the rock down on top of you."

Dumbfounded, O'Neill momentarily forgot about his pain and turned to stare at Daniel. "Okay, that's more than a little spooky… How'd ya know?"

"Because I had the exact same dream the other night, only it was you who drowned!" the scientist explained, his eyes shining with excitement as he turned to Teal'c. "I _knew_ it had to mean something."

"What does it mean, Daniel Jackson?" the Jaffa asked, cocking his head with interest.

Still grinning widely, he shrugged. "I have no idea!"

Unable to follow the archeologist's musing, O'Neill pushed his head back into the pillows and held the bridge of his nose, the headache slowly beginning to return.

_'Not again…'_ he thought, trying to force himself to relax as the pain began to increase. _'It's just like this morning…the clipboard…'_

"Daniel."

"What?" Daniel stopped mid sentence and rested his arms against the bed's guardrail.

"Do you have a copy of those symbols?" O'Neill asked, the main reason for requesting the man's presence having come back to him.

"Sure, right here," he replied, fishing a folded copy from his shirt pocket.

"Teal'c, get me that clipboard from the foot of the bed."

Although a frown of confusion crossed the large man's face, he retrieved the object without question. Flipping the clipboard to its shiniest side, O'Neill propped it up so it was facing Daniel.

"Hold it up," he instructed, determined to keep his mind clear for a few more minutes.

"I still don't see where you're going with this, Jack," Daniel muttered, wondering if the man's fever had finally begun to affect his mind. Once he'd maneuvered the photo into place, he found himself suddenly able to recognize many of the symbols being reflected onto the metal. "Oh my god…"

"Can you read it?" O'Neill asked.

"Kinda," Daniel replied, now totally absorbed in what he was seeing.

"Kinda?"

"Sorta."

"Kinda sorta?"

"Maybe…"

"Kinda, sorta, maybe?" the Colonel persisted.

Teal'c's frown deepened, finding it difficult to follow the verbal ping-pong match his two teammates were having. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Major Carter entering the room.

"Daniel, I hate to interrupt you guys, but you and Teal'c need to get ready. We're scheduled to leave in less than half an hour."

"Leave? For what?" O'Neill demanded, eyeing the field gear Carter wore.

"Why don't you tell him?" Daniel suggested, not wanting to be around when O'Neill found out that his team would be returning to P4X-564. He quickly stood and folded up the photo before motioning to Teal'c to follow. "Thanks for your help. Hope you feel better."

Before the Colonel could get out another word, Daniel and Teal'c were through the door and out of sight, leaving him and Carter alone.

"So how you doing, sir?" she asked, settling onto the stool Daniel had abandoned.

"Terrific. Where you off to?"

"Back to P4X-564."

"Why?"

"Janet and I discovered yesterday that the water sample died. We can't do a proper analysis or conduct an in depth study of the microbes without…" Carter's words dropped off when she saw her commanding officer's expression change from suspicion to pained. "Sir, are you all right?"

"I was… until I thought you said the water died."

"I did, sir."

"Ah!" he uttered, pausing for a moment to process her answer. "It _what_?"

She smiled, realizing he probably wasn't in the best condition for one of her technical explanations. "We need to get another water sample in order to better understand the microorganisms that are making you sick."

"Now see how easy that was?" he asked, Sam ducking her head in embarrassment. "All you needed to say was… argh…"

"Colonel?" Carter's smile quickly faded as her superior abruptly sat forward with a groan, grasping at his head with shaking hands. "What's wrong?"

"…This damned headache…" he muttered, almost too quietly for her to hear.

Alarmed, Sam turned to the large observation window at the front of the room and began waving her arms to catch Fraiser's attention.

"Janet!" she shouted, the petite doctor looking up from her work to see the frantic Major below.

"What's wrong?" Fraiser demanded, her voice sounding hollow through the room's single speaker.

"I don't know," Carter replied, looking back to O'Neill who had a white knuckled

grip on the bed's guardrail. "He seemed fine a minute ago, but now something's happening."

"I'll be right down," Janet called down before disappearing from view.

Her eyes wide with panic, Carter turned back to her superior trying to think of something reassuring or helpful to say.

"She's coming, sir, hang on."

O'Neill didn't reply, his head too painful to fully comprehend what was going on around him. His world had become a wild, out-of-control ride that refused to slow down and let him off.

"I was afraid this was going to happen," Dr. Fraiser said as she hurried into the room, frowning at the elevated numbers displayed on the bedside monitors. "Colonel, I need to know what's wrong?"

"…Head…dizzy…hot…" his reply broken up as he fought back his increasingly nauseous stomach.

"Just like earlier today?" the doctor asked, reaching into her lab coat pocket for an already loaded syringe.

"No…Worse."

As she injected the drug into the hanging IV line, Fraiser caught the grimace that crossed Sam's face at his answer. Placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, she waited until his tense muscles began to relax before helping him lay back.

Despite the powerful waves of sleep that were trying to wash away his consciousness, the Colonel fought to keep his eyes open a moment longer. "Carter?"

Immediately at his side, she reached out and squeezed one of his burning hot hands. "I'm here, sir."

"I have to ask something of you," he uttered, flinching slightly when the doctor placed a cold, damp cloth against his perspiring face. "No having fun off-world without me."

Sam closed her eyes for a moment, unsure if she wanted to laugh or cry at his request. In spite of all that was going on, the man's sense of humor was still able to find its way to the surface. Swallowing back the lump that formed in her throat, she put on the most genuine grin she could manage.

"You bet." Watching as his eyes fell shut at last, she glanced up to Fraiser who smiled sympathetically.

"You'd better get going, Sam," she urged, seeing the reluctance in her friend's face. "We need that water."

"Yeah," Carter replied as she began to let go of O'Neill's warm hand, startled when he suddenly gripped it tighter.

"Major," he uttered, his voice barely audible. "Stay out of the water."

"Yes, sir," she said, his grasp going limp as he finally surrendered to the drugs coursing through his body. With a shaky sigh, she gently placed his hand at his side before turning and leaving the room, refusing to let herself look back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Upon arrival at P4X-564, the three members of SG-1 had been greeted with the blinding light of the planet's rising sun, its radiant heat warming them from their trip through the Gate. The air was chilly from the night's cold temperatures, the morning dew still clinging to the abundant rocks that littered the ground. The acrid stench of sulfur seemed stronger than it had been two days before, the unpleasant smell irritating the team's eyes like freshly chopped onions.

Her attention not having left the back end of the MALP since their departure, Major Carter walked slowly behind the motorized vehicle, the guidance remote clutched in her hands. With Teal'c setting the pace, Daniel bringing up the rear, and Carter guiding the MALP in the middle, the group had gone nearly three quarters of their journey in complete silence. They all shared the same deep concern for their missing leader, each one hoping that they were coming closer to a cure with each step they took.

"You've been awfully quiet, Sam," Daniel said, picking up his pace and falling into step beside her.

"Nothing to talk about, I guess," she replied, keeping her eyes focused on the small vehicle before her.

"Nothing? With all that's been going on…" he began, his words abruptly cut off when Carter shot a steely glance back at him. "We're all worried about Jack, Sam, but he's tough. He won't let this thing beat him easily."

"_Easily_," she echoed.

"Do the Tau'ri not believe in their own saying: 'When the situation becomes strenuous, the resilient commence to do battle?'" Teal'c asked, having been quietly listening to their conversation.

Exchanging looks of bewilderment, the two humans couldn't help but smile at his misrepresentation of a familiar Earth saying.

"Teal'c, I think the cliché you're looking for is: 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going,'" Daniel corrected before continuing in a more serious tone: "And that's why we're here – to get tough."

Emitting an amused snort, Carter shook her head and grinned at what the man beside her had just said. "Unique way of putting it, Daniel."

"What?" he demanded, seeing the silent laughter shining in her eyes.

"I just don't see you as the 'get tough' type," she replied, reaching over to push his glasses up on his nose.

His face flushing red with embarrassment, Daniel readjusted his now lopsided eye wear before deciding to change the subject. "I thought you might be interested to know that within the last 24 hours, Jack and I have experienced the exact same dream involving this planet."

"Okay, that's a little odd," Sam muttered, her demeanor quickly back to business as she made a slight adjustment to the remote she held. "What about it?"

As the threesome walked, Daniel filled her in on the dream he and O'Neill had shared, describing to her the details as best as he could, Teal'c adding his own comments whenever he felt it was appropriate.

"And this is the really strange part," he went on, fully absorbed in retelling the events. "Somehow Jack, of all people, made the connection that the symbols from the stone columns were reversed when they appeared on the solidified river water."

"That's basic geometrical optics, Daniel," she replied matter-of-factly. "When you look in a mirror, you're actually seeing the object reflected in reverse."

"Yeah, I know that. But _I_ didn't comprehend that in _my_ dream," he told her, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke. "When I looked at the water I could read the message, but I didn't know why. When _Jack_ looked at the water he couldn't read the message, but he _did_ notice the symbols were reversed. Don't you see? This could be the key to translating the symbols on the columns! We could be _so_ close to discovering the purpose of this planet."

"And perhaps an answer to why O'Neill is ill," Teal'c remarked, maintaining his steady pace out in front.

"Or even better: a cure," Daniel added, the hint of a smile crossing his lips.

Carter sighed as she thought over what the two men had just told her, the whole idea sounding too bizarre and farfetched.

'_And isn't that what you said about the Stargate program when you first heard about it?'_ she asked herself, nearly tripping over a stone that the MALP kicked back into her path. _'But he could be right -- the symbols could decipher into a cure…'_

"Wait a minute. You said that you and Colonel O'Neill were confronted by a Goa'uld, right?" she asked, stopping the MALP before turning to Daniel, an idea beginning to brew in the back of her mind.

"Yep."

"How do you know?"

The archeologist drew his head back at the question. "How do we know? Know what?"

"That the person in your dreams was a Goa'uld?"

"Well, I think the distorted voice, arrogance, glowing eyes, and hand device kinda tipped us off, but I could be wrong," Daniel replied, ticking off the points on his fingers as he spoke. "Why?"

"Because, if you think about it, the whole puzzle just doesn't fit together," she explained, his wide eyes of confusion prompting her to continue. "Why would a Goa'uld want to leave the same encrypted message in multiple locations around a single planet?"

"They would not," Teal'c answered, raising an eyebrow as he began to see her point. "They would also not expend such a valuable resource as Naquadah to display the message."

"Right," Sam agreed. "And if our theories are correct, why would a Goa'uld leave behind multiple warnings or directions for a cure?"

"Again, they would not," the Jaffa replied. "Neither behavior is consistent with the Goa'ulds primary objectives of the destruction and domination of others."

"So you think I'm wrong?" Daniel asked, feeling as though he were being challenged.

Sam shook her head quickly, seeing the first few sparks of annoyance flicker in his eyes. "No, no – I'm just wondering if the person you guys saw wasn't really a Goa'uld at all."

His shoulders slumped under his heavy field vest. "Okay, then what was it?"

"What about a Tok'ra?"

"That is a distinct possibility, Major Carter," Teal'c agreed. "We have seen the Tok'ra exhibit glowing eyes before."

"Okay – what about the hand device?" Daniel pushed, crossing his arms in front of him.

"My father has one," Sam reminded him, recalling the time she had used the weapon to destroy the Earth-dwelling Goa'uld Seth. "Daniel, it just makes more sense to me that you and the Colonel were confronted by a Tok'ra, not a Goa'uld."

Teal'c tipped his head. "I agree."

"But why would a Tok'ra crush us to death?" he persisted, even though her idea was becoming more and more probable as he thought about it. "They're peaceful."

"Perhaps it was not meant to be viewed as your death, but rather as a wake up call," Teal'c offered, not phased by the looks of question that crossed his teammate's faces. "When the column came down on top of you, you woke up, did you not?"

"Well, we fell for that one…" Daniel uttered, swiping the boonie hat from his head and running a hand through his cropped hair.

"No, wait, he might be on to something," Sam said, a thought clicking in her mind. "You said the person told you that you didn't heed his warning and that maybe now you'd observe the words of the wise, right?"

"Right…"

"So what if the dream was telling you to listen to whoever left the message here in the first place?"

Daniel's eyes widened as he understood where she was going. "The Tok'ra vocally consider themselves wise… and if they're the ones that left the message on the column…"

"That we initially ignored," Sam added..

"So if we don't listen to them this time… oh boy, that's… that's just…wow," Daniel uttered, overwhelmed by what they had just deduced. "I think we need to get back and translate that message. Who knows how much time we actually have."

"Then we'd better get moving," Carter said, motioning towards the river with her head.

Hefting his staff weapon beneath his muscular arm, Teal'c returned to his position in the lead as Carter reengaged the MALP's motor. With a new sense of hope for resolving the crisis that was threatening to tear the team apart, SG-1 struck out to complete their mission with renewed determination.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

General Hammond stood before the observation deck's vast window and gazed solemnly into the room below. For the past several hours, he'd been trying to reassure himself that allowing his leading team to return to P4X-564 hadn't been a poor decision. Although he trusted SG-1 with their judgments, skills, and capabilities, just the sight of the ailing Colonel proved to be a startling reminder that accidents could happen.

Taking a sip of his morning coffee, Hammond glanced at the near-by computer when movement on the monitor caught his eye. Stepping around the swivel chair to get a closer look, he found himself staring blankly at the display of various numbers, lines, and symbols, unsure what any of them meant. The only thing he knew for certain was that one of his best men lay seriously ill in the adjoining room, battling a virus that they knew nothing about.

"Morning, sir," Dr. Fraiser greeted as she briskly entered the small room, a stack of folders tucked under her arm. Dropping the paperwork on the desk with a thump, she paused to look at the monitor that he'd had been studying and frowned.

"Good morning, Doctor," Hammond replied, seeing the distraught expression that crossed the tired woman's face. "Major Carter filled me in on what transpired earlier today. It sounds like you've had quite the morning."

Fraiser raised her eyebrows in agreement. "Yes, sir. It's been eventful, to say the least. Whatever this virus is, it's very fast, powerful, and resilient."

"How's he doing?" Hammond asked, the two officers approaching the room's large window. Below O'Neill slept restlessly, his pallid features highlighted with fever. Despite the drugs that were successfully keeping him asleep, his face still bore an expression of silent discomfort.

The doctor sighed and shook her head. "As good as he can be, all things considered. I'm keeping him sedated to help control his pain, but his elevated vital signs have me wondering if it's even enough. Until we know more about what we're up against, there's not much I can do except treat him symptomatically."

"You're still certain this came from P4X-564?"

"It's the only speculation that makes sense, sir," Fraiser replied with a small shrug. "Colonel O'Neill was the only member of SG-1 to be submerged in the alien river, and consequently he's the only one who's sick."

"SCHEDULED OFF-WORLD ACTIVATION…" As the familiar voice and alarm filled air, General Hammond looked up at the spinning red lights that signaled the activation of the Stargate.

"Speaking of SG-1," he said, turning to address the petite doctor. Noticing the troubled expression still on her face, Hammond offered her a supportive smile. "You're doing the best you can, Doctor. That's all I will ever ask for and I know Colonel O'Neill would agree with me. Keep me apprised as more details become known."

"Yes, sir," she answered, watching as the stout General left the observation deck. With a sigh, she brought her attention back to the resting man in the room below.

'_I just hope,' _she thought, warily eyeing the higher than normal numbers displayed on the vital screen. _'Doing my best will be enough to beat this thing…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Stargate's iris was just spiraling closed as General Hammond entered the embarkation room, the three members of SG-1 still standing behind the MALP on the ramp. As several technicians attended to the small vehicle, the team handed down their weapons and equipment to an armory officer before turning to the approaching General.

"Welcome back, SG-1. I trust your mission went well?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Major Carter replied, her disposition a bit more upbeat than when they had departed several hours before. "The modifications to the MALP arm allowed us to collect the samples we needed without any problems."

"And most importantly," Daniel added, hefting off his backpack and dropping it at his feet. "We're all dry."  
Hammond smiled. "I'm glad to see that, Doctor Jackson. Well done, all of you." He watched as Teal'c carefully removed the large sample container from the side of the MALP, listening to the thick water slopping around inside.

"This container is radiating a fair amount of heat," the Jaffa said, visibly disturbed by its warmth.

"That's exactly what happened the first time. Sir, with your permission, I'd like to get started on the analysis as soon as possible. We're not sure how long of a window we have until…" Carter paused, trying unsuccessfully to think of a better word to use. "Well, until this batch dies too, sir."

"Of course," he replied. "Take the time and resources you need, Major."

"Thank you, sir."

"General, we'd also like to send a signal to the Tok'ra. There might be a chance they've come across something like this in their travels," Daniel said as the team made their way down the solid ramp. "Maybe they can offer us some help."

"I'll have a transmission prepared and sent out immediately," he answered, agreeing that their newest allies might have some insight on their current situation. "Let's get this problem solved, people."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Several hours after returning from P4X-564, the team found packed themselves into one of the SGC's small labs, continuing on with their research. To an outsider, the room would have appeared to be bursting at the seams with enough people and high-end equipment to furnish a decent sized laboratory. For the four occupants inside, however, progress was gradually being made despite the cramped quarters. Daniel and Teal'c were slowly making headway with the message at one end of the room, while Dr. Fraiser and Sam worked at the electron microscope analyzing the alien water at the other.

Her gaze scarcely having left the imaging monitor for over an hour, Major Carter frowned at the jumbled mess she was seeing. The sample she had under the microscope revealed a dizzying array of minuscule life forms, all in varying in shapes, sizes, and textures. What she had thought would be a simple, straight forward task of locating the two pathogens that had made the Colonel sick, now appeared to be an impossible endeavor.

"Any luck?" Dr. Fraiser asked as she came up beside her, a fragile glass slide balanced between her fingers.

Sam sat back on the metal stool behind her and sighed, pressing the heels of her hands into her tired eyes. "Other than verifying that the water is definitely alive, no. There's just so much life in here I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever be able to just pick out a few specific organisms. Not to mention the fact they're only a few nanometers long… I just hope our trip wasn't fruitless."

"It wasn't, believe me. Anything new we learn puts us a step closer to help Colonel O'Neill," the doctor said firmly, offering her the new slide to view. "Try this. I used a smaller filter this time to prepare the sample, eliminating anything larger than one micrometer. I also added two protein specific dye markers that my team came up with especially for these two pathogens. With any luck, we should see the virus and bacteria illuminated on the screen."

Although skeptical, Carter took the specimen and placed it in the complex microscope, keying in the commands for the scan to start. "I honestly didn't think this was going to be so difficult. I mean we _know _the little beggars are right here… "

"Sam, believe it or not, microbiology can be just as frustrating as quantum physics," Fraiser said with an understanding smile. The Major sighed and turned back to the display monitor, a grayscale image gradually beginning to appear.

As the two women watched the picture slowly come into focus, they immediately took notice of the numerous shapes that seemed to glow brightly on the screen.

"Holy Hannah…" Sam breathed, her wide eyes meeting the doctor's equally large ones. "It worked."

"It certainly did," Fraiser muttered, reaching for the control panel and increasing the magnification several times. The illuminated objects quickly took shape, becoming complexly multisided spheres and slightly larger, rope-like forms with feathery gills at one end.

"Daniel, Teal'c, come check this out," Carter called to her teammates who were hunched around a small table across the room. "It actually worked this time."

"You have located them?" Teal'c asked, coming up and observing over her shoulder.

"Yep," Fraiser replied, a glint of accomplishment in her eyes. She fished a pen from her coat pocket and pointed the tip at one of the illumined rope-like forms. "This is the bacterium that initially caused the flu-like symptoms to develop in Colonel O'Neill."

"Okay, those look a little like sea monkeys," Daniel uttered, seeing the familiar shape motionless on the screen.

Teal'c cocked his head in question. "I was unaware that the Taur'ri possessed aquatic primates."

The three humans quickly exchanged amused glances before Daniel cleared his throat to keep from laughing. "Well, that's because we don't. Sea monkeys are actually these tiny, dehydrated brine shrimp that kids keep as pets. You see, you get this envelope of dried eggs that you put into salt water, add light, and presto! You have sea monkeys." Satisfied with his explanation, he looked from the still frowning Jaffa on his right to the bemused women on his left and sighed. "Tell you want, I'll get you some."

The large man's eyebrow rose as he considered the offer, the moment of silence permitting Dr. Fraiser to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"We identified the bacteria from a blood sample taken shortly after Daniel brought the Colonel in the other night. As you're all aware, it promptly responded to antibiotics and was eliminated from his system relatively easily. However, we're now dealing with this," she said, moving her pen to the other glowing form displayed on the screen.

"From what we've been able to learn so far through blood analysis is that it's a polyhedral, single stranded RNA virus that is unlike anything we have here on Earth. It's turning out to be far more aggressive than the bacteria, and worse, it's multiplying at an alarming rate. The virus takes leukocytes as hosts where they replicate exponentially before destroying the cell, and releasing thousands of new viruses into the bloodstream. From start to finish, it takes just under five hours."

"Okay," Daniel muttered, his face scrunched up in confusion. "Please tell me there's not going to be a test on this later?"

"It's simple, Daniel," Carter said, noting the overwhelmed look in his eyes. "The virus is a multifaceted pathogen that invades white blood cells, uses RNA to recreate itself thousands of times, and destroys its host in order to distribute the new copies."

The archeologist just sat and blinked for moment, trying to sort out what he had just been told. "Thanks, Sam. You just made things as clear as mud."

"Can you not formulate a cure from the information you have gathered?" Teal'c asked, seeming to have grasped the lofty concepts without much trouble.

Shaking her head, the doctor sighed. "With these images alone, no. We need to start experimenting with different drugs and treatments until we find something that the virus responds to. I'm afraid it's going to be a long, difficult process because the virus is so small that we have to use the electron microscope just to be able to see it."

"Hey, Janet, what does this mean?"

As she turned around to where Daniel had taken up residence by the microscope controls, her attention was immediately drawn to a new image on the monitor. Pictured on the screen surrounded by a small group of sea monkey-like bacteria, was a solitary virus with several pieces missing from its outer capsid.

"That's impossible," Fraiser muttered, shooing him aside to try and clear up the image. "Sam, can you get a hard copy of this?"

"Sure," Carter replied, activating the printer at the other end of the table. "What is it?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

"It would appear that the bacteria were in the process of consuming the virus before being incapacitated by the beam of electrons," Teal'c offered, just as captivated by the image as the others.

"I think you're right," the doctor agreed.

"Is that unusual?" Daniel asked.

"No, it's impossible," Fraiser said, taking the paper image that came from the printer and studying it for a moment. "Sam, come with me. I want to show this to someone for a second opinion."

Rushing to keep up with her friend, Carter paused in the doorway and called back to her teammates. "Good luck with the translation, guys."

With both women out of sight, Daniel looked to Teal'c and puffed out a sigh. "Well, looks like we solved their problem. Now how 'bout we solve ours?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel grunted as he dropped down into his chair, looking around at the mountain of clutter he had strewn around his office. They had been forced to relocate back to his territory when some of Dr. Fraiser's staff announced they needed to use the electron microscope. Now, back at his desk, Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, listening to the gentle hum of the fish tank filter in the background.

"Wha--?" A thunderous crash on the table beside him nearly brought the relaxing scientist standing to attention. Struggling to regain his composure, Daniel scrambled to replace his glasses only to find Teal'c with his dark hands still steadying a giant stack of reference books.

"Did I disturb you, Daniel Jackson?"

"No, no, not really," he uttered, his heart rate slowly going from panicked to startled. "Is that the last of them?"

"Indeed."

"Good." Straightening out his mussed up dark blue shirt, Daniel returned to his chair and ruffled his hair.

"Have you made any progress with the translation?" Teal'c inquired, drawing a stool to the opposite side of the table before joining his friend.

"Some," he uttered, rifling through a stack of loose papers to find his notes. Locating the correct sheet, he handed to the large Jaffa with a slight scowl. "It's just a general rendition; there're still a handful of symbols I can't find anywhere so there are some holes present…"

Reading what he could aloud, the man's eyebrows rose more and more as he spoke: "…release captive, abolish captor. When unwillingly become . Entrance by… unblended… forbidden. Consequences… volatile. Observe solution… defeats _!…_ Lesser of evils is more. evils collide… make good."

"See what I mean?" Daniel asked with a sigh.

"It appears Major Carter was correct. The stone columns serve as a warning."

"But a warning for _what_? And from who? I mean it's way too cryptic and refined to be from a Goa'uld."

"Perhaps it originated from the Tok'ra."

"Maybe," Daniel uttered, picking up a photo from P4X-564. "I just keep getting hung up on these symbols."

"I do not believe that they are words," Teal'c replied, taking the image from his friend and taking a closer look. "They are in fact numbers."

"Numbers? Are you sure?"

"I am. They represent two, one, and three."

Quietly muttering about not having thought of that himself, Daniel quickly rewrote the translation using the numbers in place of the symbols. Rereading the message when he was done, a smile began to spread across the man's face as it suddenly made sense.

"Oh wow."

"What does it mean?"

Daniel reread the message again before shaking his head. "I don't know. Looks like a number riddle or formula of some kind."

"Perhaps Major Carter could be of assistance?" Teal'c offered.

"Good idea," Daniel uttered, his eyes never leaving the translation as he stood and headed out of his office. Just outside the doorway, he stopped short and turned back to Teal'c who hadn't moved from his position at the front of the desk. "By the way, thanks."

"You are welcome," the large man replied, bowing his head in acknowledgment before standing and following the archeologist from the disorderly space.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Major Carter looked up from the virology book she held and puffed out a sigh, realizing that she'd been reading the same paragraph for nearly twenty minutes. She looked over at the bed where O'Neill lay sleeping, grimacing at how strongly his ashen skin contrasted with the light green sheets that rose halfway up his still form. Quietly shutting the book and setting it aside, she glanced around at the silent monitoring equipment, shaking her head at the unacceptably high numbers they displayed.

"I just wish I knew what to do for you, sir," she muttered, rubbing her neck that had become sore from several hours of reading.

"…Could start by turning on the air conditioning…" O'Neill said quietly, unintentionally startling his colleague.

"Colonel!" she exclaimed, standing and approaching his side. "I didn't know you were awake."

"Hard to sleep – it's so hot," he uttered, lacking the strength to open his eyes. Carter retrieved a small cloth soaking in water beside the bed and draped it over his forehead.

"We're doing everything we can, sir," she said, watching as he took the cool cloth and pressed it over his eyes. "It's just turning out not to be enough. I'm sorry."

"That's enough, Carter," he told her as firmly as he could. "You're all doing you best. No one can ask any more of you."

"Yes, sir."

Sam turned around when she heard footsteps entering the room behind her, Dr. Fraiser appearing in the doorway.

"How are you feeling, Colonel?" she asked, nearing his bedside.

"Ya have to ask?" he said, a dull ache already beginning to form in his head.

"That good, huh?" she replied, looking at the surrounding monitors with a slight frown. "Sam, can I see you for a second?"

"Sure," Carter answered, following the doctor just outside the isolation room's door. "What is it?"

"I didn't want to say this in front of him, but his latest blood work showed that the level of the virus in his system has almost doubled in the past four hours. His temperature is nearing 105 degrees without any signs of breaking and now his body is starting to exhibit signs of advancing stress. I'm afraid if we don't come up with a solution fast…"

"I know," Carter uttered, holding up her hands to stop the discouraging news. "I just don't know what to do. I mean without the ability to cross-reference these pathogens with ones we have here on Earth and to understand what their purpose is, we still don't really know what we're dealing with. And even if what we saw under that microscope is true, it could take days or even weeks to synthesize any kind of treatment out of it."

Fraiser nodded, the likelihood of accomplishing their goal rapidly becoming dim. "Results of the full organic analysis should be in within a few hours or so. We can't lose hope, Sam, not yet."

"Yeah, I know," she replied solemnly. "It's just hard to see…"

"Wait a second…" Fraiser interrupted, taking her friend by the arm to quiet her.

"What?" Carter turned and followed the doctor as she hastily made her way back into the private room, alarmed when she saw O'Neill braced against the bed's guardrail, clearly struggling to keep from losing his stomach.

"Doc…" he called, releasing the railing with one hand in order to support his now throbbing head.

Taking a fleeting look at the now racing monitor equipment, Fraiser set a reassuring hand on the man's trembling arm, a cold sweat making his skin shine. "Colonel, what's wrong?"

"…Damn, it's back…" he uttered, his own voice almost too loud to tolerate. "…Too soon… oh, god…"

Having anticipated what was about to happen, Carter stepped back just in time to avoid wearing the meager contents of her commanding officer's stomach on her boots. The two women sharing an anxious look, the petite doctor quickly headed for the door.

"I'll be right back. Sam, stay with him," she ordered, disappearing around the corner.

"Sorry you had to see that, Carter," O'Neill said as he dropped heavily against the pillows, still holding his head. "…just so dizzy…"

"It's all right, sir," she replied, unsure what to say that could possibly make him feel better. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"…Gate me to a planet. Someplace with big rocks…"

"Big rocks, sir?"

"So I can curl up under one and die," his last words coming in a rush as he leaned over the bed and heaved once again. "…Damn it…"

Sam forced a sympathetic smile, the sight of her team leader's increasing pain starting to be too much to bear.

"All right, Colonel," Fraiser said as she reentered the room, already drawing a clear fluid into a syringe from an inverted vial. "We're going to try something a little different this time."

"Gimme your best shot, doc," he said, his headache bordering on excruciating.

Seeing the distress that displayed on the Colonel's handsome features, the doctor added a few more CCs to the syringe before finally administering the drug. Feeling the effects almost immediately, O'Neill shuddered as sleep mercifully came.

"He should be out for at least six hours," she said, slipping an oxygen mask over the man's face to aid his shallow breathing. "Maybe we'll have a better idea of what to do for him by then."

"Yeah," Sam replied softly, hoping the tears that held welled up in her eyes weren't overly obvious. "I'm sorry, Jack."

"Listen, I saw Daniel in passing and he really wants to see you. I guess he and Teal'c figured something out with that message you guys were working on. He seemed pretty excited about it," Fraiser said, than adding when she saw the reluctance on her colleague's face: "I'll be here, Sam. He won't be alone."

"Thanks, Janet," Sam whispered, finally allowing a few tears to slide down her cheek as she left the room to seek out her friends.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The commissary was unusually quiet for the early evening hours, many of the SGC personnel having already left in preparation for the upcoming weekend. Sitting against the far wall and away from the few lingering technicians, Daniel hovered intently over the recently completed translation, while Teal'c was off procuring himself a snack.

"Hi, Daniel."

Hearing Carter's voice behind him, Daniel spun around in his chair and held up the paper he'd been fixated on only moments before. "Sam! You've got to see this…"

His enthusiasm abruptly fading, the archeologist watched as his teammate dropped listlessly into the seat opposite him, a dismal expression etched on her face. Perceiving there was something wrong, he pushed aside the translation and offered her his undivided attention.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just with the Colonel," she replied quietly, clearing her throat to try and stop the wavering in her voice. "Daniel, he's getting worse. His viral count keeps increasing and it's becoming harder and harder for Janet to keep him comfortable. What he went through before she was able to sedate him was just…"

She stopped and sighed, her composure threatening to come apart as she recalled the last half hour. Unable to meet Daniel's sympathetic gaze, Sam tried to look concerned over a hangnail she'd discovered on her thumb.

"It's difficult to watch someone you care about suffer. Especially when you feel there's nothing you can do about it," he told her. "Nothing to make them better again."

She nodded and ran a finger under her eyes, trying to stem the tears she felt forming from exposing themselves. "Yeah, it is."

"Is there a problem, Major Carter?" Teal'c inquired as he approached the table, straddling a large tray of coffee and fruit between his hands.

"It's Jack," Daniel replied, sparing his colleague from having to answer. "He's not doing so good."

His broad shoulders slumping, the large Jaffa settled into a chair at the head of the table before doling out the mugs of coffee. "I see."

"Thanks, Teal'c," Carter replied, wrapping her shaky hands around the warm, ceramic container and inhaling the calming aroma of the strong brew. Taking a small sip, she shut her eyes and ordered herself to relax, a feat much easier said than done. After a few deep breaths, she looked up at the two men sitting before her, Teal'c already having devoured a large bunch of purple grapes.

"So," she said, deciding it was time to get back to business. "You wanted to show me something?"

"Oh yeah," Daniel muttered, pulling the translation from beneath his black coffee mug and passing it to her. "We finally finished deciphering that message we found on the stone columns. And although it's a little choppy, we think you were right about it being a warning of some kind. And you know those symbols I was getting hung up on? Well, Teal'c said that they were numbers and not words. "

"Really?" she asked, taking the paper and reading down through it. "… Release captive, abolish captor. When two unwillingly become one. Entrance by… unblended… forbidden. Consequences… volatile. Heed solution… three defeats one_…_ Lesser of two evils is more. Two evils collide… make one good."

"So? What do you think?"

"It's choppy," she remarked, rereading the message again. "So what's it mean?"

"That is what we are hoping you can tell us, Major Carter," Teal'c said as he applied a copious about of salt to the green apple in his hand.

"Me?" Sam asked, startled. "Daniel, you're the linguistics expert. I was never any good at word riddles."

"What about math problems?" he asked, leaning his forearms on the table, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. "Or chemical formulas?"

"Those I can do, but…"

"Three defeats one. Three to one…"

"Three to one, that's a ratio," she answered, slowly beginning to see where the archeologist was going.

Tearing a large bite from his apple, Teal'c tipped his head. "What is a ratio?"

"It's a way to show a relationship between items," Carter said, launching into explanation mode. "Like how the gas carbon dioxide is always comprised of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. You change the proportions, you change the substance."

"How does this pertain to O'Neill's situation?"

"The message says: "heed the solution" and then gives the ratio 3:1. Now all we have to do is figure out what these numbers represent and I'll just bet we have ourselves a cure. Right?" she asked, her previous depression all but forgotten.

"That's what I was thinking," Daniel uttered, once again amazed at her ability to work problems out so quickly.

"Most impressive, Major Carter," Teal'c said, bowing deeply to show his admiration.

"Well, it's not really the answer we were hoping for, but it's a step in the right direction," she said, looking over her shoulder as the commissary phone began to ring. As a grin of success tugged at the corners of her mouth, Sam stood and made her way through the maze of tables to answer it. "Carter… Sure, we'll be right there."

"Who was it?" Daniel asked, finishing off his coffee with a final swig.

"It's Janet. She wants to see us," Carter replied, replacing her chair under the table. "The results from the water analysis are in and she wants to show us something."

Gathering up their personal items and heading for the door, the three members of SG-1 found that the translation of the message had helped to recharge their enthusiasm and restore their sense of hope.

Following the two men out of the commissary and into the hall, Sam found the depression and sorrow she'd felt earlier changing into fierce determination.

_'We're going to find a way to get you through this, Jack,'_ she thought, as she stepped into the large elevator and pressed the button that would take them to the infirmary level. _'I promise.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You mean we actually saw what we thought we saw?"

Dr. Fraiser set the image projector on idle before making her way to the light controls located by the door. Flipping the switch, her small office suddenly flooded with white florescent light, momentarily blinding herself and the three members of SG-1.

"It would appear that way, Daniel," she replied as she returned to her cluttered desk and began rummaging around for a particular file. "I consulted with Dr. Warner and he confirmed that what we saw was real. The bacterium found in the river system on P4X-564 seems to have an appetite for the virus they coexist with. We're classifying it as a virophage, or a virus consuming bacteria. It's a phenomenon we have yet to see here on Earth, and its discovery generates some exciting opportunities in the field of disease control. If this microbe can be programmed to target other specific pathogens, we could be looking at cures for viral infections ranging from the common cold to AIDS."

"But didn't you say it was the bacteria that made the Colonel sick in the first place?" Sam inquired, flipping through the images that had been taken of the two organisms interacting. She couldn't help but be amazed at the process the photos revealed, marveling at the way a group of the sea monkey-like bacteria surrounded and systematically devoured a single virus.

The doctor nodded, resting against the desktop as she addressed her small audience. "It did. When Daniel first brought Colonel O'Neill in the other morning, he was exhibiting signs of a typical infection: fever, headache, muscle pains, and fatigue. When his blood work confirmed it was a bacterial infection, I started him on a broad-spectrum antibiotic to try and slow the microbe's growth."

"But I thought you said he was getting better?" Daniel asked, looking at the images over Sam's shoulder.

"Initially he was," Fraiser answered, thumbing through the folder she'd finally located. "Once the level of bacteria began to drop in his system due to the affects of the antibiotic, the Colonel started to feel more like himself again. We're speculating that it was during this 12-hour block of time that the virus invaded his white blood cells and began multiplying unchecked. It was when the cells ruptured and his system was flooded with a massive amount of the pathogen that he deteriorated so rapidly. Apparently this strain of bacteria helps keep the virus levels stable, consuming them when the concentration becomes too great. Sort of like a shepherd culling his flock."

Carter drew her head back, unsure if she understood where the doctor was going. "Wait, so the bacteria are good in this case?"

"Not necessarily," she replied, seeing the skepticism on the Major's face. "It's what made him sick in the first place. However, it does appear to be more benign than the virus at this point."

"The lesser of two evils?" Teal'c uttered, his deep voice startling the others.

"Sure, you could say that," she said, curious to what he meant. "But why?"

"It is part of the message from the stone columns on P4X-564."

Fraiser's eyes widened as she turned to Daniel. "You figured it out?"

Daniel couldn't help the small, satisfied grin that appeared on his face as he reached into his shirt pocket and withdrew a copy of the translation. "It's still a little ambiguous, but we've got the gist of it. It seems to be a warning about the river and we think it also describes a possible remedy to Jack's condition."

The doctor took the well-creased page from the archeologist's hands and read it over, her eyebrows rising in disbelief. "Wow – is it Goa'uld?"

"We don't think so," Carter replied. "It's quite cryptic and the dialect is very refined. We're guessing it originated from the Tok'ra or one of their allies."

"In fact, I think its purpose may actually be to rid a host of a Goa'uld symbiote," Daniel added quickly, blinking innocently when three pairs of eyes looked at him as if he were mad. "What? The message says: 'Release the captive, and abolish the captor. When two people unwillingly become one.' When a person becomes a host to a Goa'uld, they unwillingly become the same being."

"You believe the water on P4X-564 to be similar to Thor's Hammer?" Teal'c asked, recalling the Asgard device they had encountered and ultimately destroyed on a mission several years prior.

"Yeah," he said, then adding with a sheepish grin. "Only in liquid form."

"Daniel…" Carter groaned, rolling her eyes at his poor attempt at a joke.

"So, assuming your translation is correct, all we have to do is figure out what proportion of the bacteria it takes to destroy all of the virus, right?" Fraiser asked, trying to steer the conversation back on topic.

Teal'c cocked his head. "Proportion? Is that not a term you used earlier, Major Carter?"

"I think the translation provides us with all the information we need. It reads: 'Three defeats one,' so 3 to 1 is our concentration. It also states that 'the lesser of two evils is more,' and you just said that the bacteria is more benign than the virus. So…"

The doctor nodded as she began to understand. "So for every virus present in his system, we'll need at least three units of the bacteria. I can have some computer simulations completed just to be sure, but that has to be it."

"Okay, so assuming we are correct, then what?" Daniel asked.

"Well, we'll need to find an effective way to separate the bacteria from the other organisms in the water, stabilize it, and determine the safest way to reintroduce it back into the Colonel's system," Fraiser explained. "And this is assuming that General Hammond will go along with it. We're going to need several gallons of the water to work with and that means another trip to P4X-564."

"Should we not commence immediately?" the Jaffa suggested.

Carter shook her head as she checked her watch. "It's just past 2200 hours now; General Hammond has been gone for hours. Even if we did place an emergency call into him, we'd still have to wait for the sun to rise on 564 before he'd likely even consider sending another team out."

"So we have to wait," Daniel uttered, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose. "Great."

As the office fell into silence, each of the room's occupants wordlessly mulled over their proposed plan, its implications, and the chance for success. They all agreed the stakes were high, and the possibility that they had incorrectly interpreted the column message was prominent in their minds. The group knew they were gambling with a teammate's life, a teammate that had grown to mean a great deal to all of them.

Clapping his hands loudly against his lap and pushing back in his chair, Daniel's sigh broke the silence. "So, what do we now?"

"Well, since there's really nothing that can be done at the moment, I suggest you all try to get some rest," Dr. Fraiser said, noticing the dark circles that hung under everyone's eyes.

"But the Colonel…" Sam began.

"_Ah_," the doctor put her hand up to quiet her. "Colonel O'Neill is going to need all the support he can get over the next few days. I know you all want to be there for him, but you're not going to be much help to him or yourselves if you're exhausted."

"I will remain with O'Neill," Teal'c announced. "I shall be able to Kel'No'Reem without disturbing him."

Fraiser considered disagreeing with the man, but refrained when she saw the relief that came over the team. "All right. Teal'c, I'll allow you to stay, but as for the rest of you, out."

"Yes, ma'am," Daniel uttered as he and Carter exchanged looks of defeat. After bidding their colleagues goodnight, the two members of SG-1 dolefully left the small office, both feeling that their chances of getting any sleep were futile.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The hollow hours of the early morning brought a sense of tranquility to the typically organized chaos that was the SGC, the mountain housing only a small skeleton crew of officers to keep watch over the base. With the hustle and bustle of the previous day having all but faded into a distant memory, the air became so silent and still that one could hear the dimmed florescent lights hum.

'_Well that four and a half hour nap wasn't worth much,'_ Dr. Fraiser thought as she allowed the door to the observation deck slide shut behind her. Sinking into the first chair she came across, the doctor momentarily dropped her face into her hands. Having retired shortly after sending Daniel and Sam off for the night, she'd spent over an hour tossing and turning on the firm cot that she had in her office. Now, rather than being refreshed and rejuvenated, she found herself feeling even more tired and burnt out than before.

Smothering a yawn with her hand, Dr. Fraiser turned her attention to the isolation room below. She smiled at the sight of Teal'c perched motionlessly on the floor, deep in a state of Kel'No'Reem. A solitary pillar candle stood on the bedside table next to him, its warm flame flickering slightly from an invisible breeze created by the circulating air.

As her eyes moved from the peaceful Jaffa to the pallid figure confined to the bed, Janet found her smile fading into a frown of concern. O'Neill remained as deeply anesthetized as she dared, hoping it offered him at least some reprieve from the constant misery the alien virus was causing.

Shaking her head sympathetically, she found herself starting to feel responsible for not being able to help her colleague. Even with their proposed plan, there was always the possibility that General Hammond wouldn't authorize another trip to the planet. Or worse yet, that they were terribly wrong in deciphering the message and would be putting the Colonel's life in even greater danger than it already was.

Distracted by her own thoughts, the doctor failed to hear the door open behind her, only realizing she had company when she noticed their reflections on the room's large window. Pivoting around in her chair, she smiled to see Daniel and Carter standing in the doorway, the tantalizing offer of a carafe and a covered plate in their hands.

"Are we interrupting anything, Janet?" Sam asked.

Fraiser shook her head and beckoned them into the quiet room. "Nope, just checking up on things and doing some thinking."

"Coffee?" Daniel asked, setting down three ceramic mugs before twisting opening the carafe and releasing the comforting aroma of fresh coffee into the air.

"Please," she uttered, immediately taking a sip of the hot, invigorating beverage.

Before joining her friends at the table, Sam paused at the large window and gazed into the room below, looking first to the meditating Teal'c and then to the sleeping Colonel. "How's he doing?"

"He's stable for the moment, although lab results are showing that the virus concentration is slowly on the rise. His latest MRI revealed that the inter-cranial swelling has increased slightly, and his high fever still refuses to break. There's really not much I can do for him until we get the go ahead to enact our plan. For right now, rest seems to be the best thing for him," she explained, a thought suddenly coming to mind. "Speaking of which, didn't I order you two to get some rest yourselves?"

The SG-1 members exchanged a sheepish look before Sam produced the covered plate.

"We tried. We really did," Daniel insisted, his eyes wide with innocence behind his glasses. "There's just… there's too much going on."

"But we brought a peace offering," Carter said, removing the foil lid that covered the platter.

"I don't think I could eat anything right now, guys," Fraiser uttered, only to feel her mouth start to water as Sam revealed a plate of three oversized, frosted brownies. "Oh, I need that."

"They were supposed to be for lunch, but we had no problem convincing the mess officer to let us take a few," she said, procuring one of the sweets for herself.

The group indulged without speaking for a moment, savoring the moist, chewy bars until Daniel's curiosity broke the silence. "So what were you thinking about, if you don't mind me asking?"

Fraiser sighed and brushed a few crumbs off her mouth before speaking. "I'm just beginning to question whether this plan will even work. I mean we've had so little time to study these organisms… for all we know, we could be rushing right into a disaster."

"Why the sudden doubt?" Carter asked, hearing the hesitation in the doctor's voice.

"Before coming here, I stopped by the lab to check the results of the simulations my team is working on. While there, I was informed that the water sample you brought back early yesterday had suffered the same fate as the initial sample. It steadily rose in temperature before topping out just under 200 degrees, effectively terminating all microbial life. Now we've had to put any further tests on hold until the General authorizes a return trip – assuming he goes along with the idea."

"So what happened to the first sample wasn't a fluke," Sam uttered, disappointed by yet another hurdle in their path. "Great."

"Apparently as the viruses are destroyed, they release a sort of caustic chemical into their environment. When it becomes too concentrated, the bacteria launch into a cannibalistic feeding frenzy, which we believe is the cause for the sudden rise in temperature. Within a few hours the reaction is over, leaving only microscopic residue behind."

"So now we have a limited amount of time to collect, separate, and get the correct concentration of bacteria in Jack, or else it'll do more harm than good?" Daniel questioned, starting to understand the doctor's hesitation for proceeding. "Right, no pressure there."

Fraiser turned and looked down at the resting man in the isolation room below. Noticing the fine lines of pain on the Colonel's perspiring face, the doctor felt a startling surge of helplessness and frustration within herself.

"I'll be honest with you guys," she began, trepidation clearly in her voice. "The more I learn about these microbes, the more uncomfortable I'm getting about this whole plan. I'm starting to think that even if the General does agree to this, I'm not sure I can anymore…"

"Janet, you were so gung-ho about this earlier, and now you're going to give up just because things are getting tough?" Carter demanded, surprised by her friend's uncharacteristic behavior.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but it's starting to come down to the fact that the health of everyone on this base is my responsibility. I just don't know if I can really take a gamble on someone's life with little more than an alien message and what we _hope_ is the right translation. Ultimately, we could be doing more harm than good, and there's always the chance that he could fight this thing off on his own."

"But do you _really_ think that?" Daniel asked, feeling the tension starting to rise around him. "With everything you've tried and the research that's been done, do you honestly believe Jack is going to get through this on his own?"

Startled by the archeologist's challenge, Fraiser locked onto his gaze, but the earnestness of the man's words caused her anger to break. Dropping her face into her hands, she sighed forcefully, her professional and personal emotions overwhelmed.

"I don't know what to think right now," she uttered, the effects of fatigue, stress, and frustration all catching up with her at once. "I'm sorry, you two."

"It's all right," Daniel replied, giving his friend's hand a reassuring squeeze. "We're all a little touchy right now."

She nodded and took a long drink of coffee, its warmth and familiar flavor helping to compose her.

"Would you feel better about trying this if the Colonel gave you his permission to continue?" Sam suggested once Fraiser had settled down.

"It sure would take some of the pressure off," she answered, having briefly considered the idea herself.

"Um, Sam, he's drugged out, remember?" Daniel asked.

"Well, it can be reversed, can't it?" she questioned, turning to her friend. "At least temporarily?"

"I could try. But I seriously doubt he'll be in any shape to comprehend what's going on," Fraiser replied hesitantly, recalling his lack of cognation the last time he was conscious.

"But it's worth a try," Sam persisted, looking between her two friends for their support. "Isn't it?"

After a moment of thought, Fraiser nodded, deciding they really had nothing to lose.

'_Other than a little stress by knowing that the person you're trying to help is as up to trying a risky treatment as you are…'_

"All right," she finally replied, popping the rest of her brownie into her mouth before standing up. "Meet me downstairs in ten minutes."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ten minutes later found Sam and Daniel hovering in the isolation room's doorway, unsure how to alert the Kel'No'Reeming Teal'c of their presence. The room was dim and eerily quiet, only the slow, mechanical tones of a heart monitor breaking the silence.

"Do you think we should interrupt him?" Daniel whispered, apprehensive about disturbing the Jaffa perched motionless on the floor.

"I am in fact already aware of your presence, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied, turning to look over his shoulder.

"Sorry to bother you, Teal'c," Sam said, making her way to the far side of the bed. She paused for a moment, trying to accept that the ailing person before her was the same man whose bold, sarcastic manner had earned her respect and admiration over the past few years. To lose him now -- just as new alliances were forming and technological advancements were becoming a reality – would be unthinkable.

"We have something to ask Jack," Daniel explained, offering his teammate a hand in getting up. "Janet is going to give him something that will wake him up."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow. "Is that wise?"

"Probably not," Dr. Fraiser uttered as she walked quickly into the room.

"If you're having second thoughts about this…" Carter began, watching as she withdrew a hypodermic from her breast coat pocket and pulled the cap off.

"I'm only doing this because what you said, Sam, is correct. It _would _make me feel better to hear him agree to try this treatment," she replied, plugging the syringe into the IV line and slowly depressing the plunger. "I'm only giving him enough to raise his level of consciousness for a short time. You'll have five minutes at best, so make it count."

"Thanks, Janet," Sam said before turning her attention to O'Neill. Leaning as close to him as she dared, she attempted to wake her commanding officer from his drug-induced slumber. "Colonel? Can you hear me? Sir, we need to talk to you."

"Come on, Jack," Daniel joined in, giving the man a gentle shake. "We know you're really tired, but this is important."

"Perhaps you did not give him enough medication, Dr. Fraiser," Teal'c suggested, tipping his head when O'Neill stirred at the sound of his voice.

"Teal'c, try calling to him. Your voice is deeper than ours and it might just be getting through," Carter urged, desperate for him to wake up.

"Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter and Daniel Jackson wish to speak with you. Are you able to awaken?"

A low groan escaping the Colonel's lips, he turned towards the sound that had so rudely awoken him without opening his eyes. "Teal'c?"

"I am here."

"Sir, we need to talk with you," Carter said, lowering her voice when she saw him wince at its volume. "It's important."

"Major…Oy, my head hurts…" O'Neill uttered, his words barely audible as he reached up and brushed the annoying oxygen mask from his face. "Listen, Carter, you can go off-world without me, just don't shoot anything, okay?"

Despite the situation, she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Colonel, but that's not why we woke you up."

"We think we may have found a way to make you better," Daniel revealed, attempting to keep his voice low as well. "But there are risks."

"Risks?"

"There's a possibility that the side effects may outweigh the benefits of this treatment, sir," Dr. Fraiser explained. "We want to reintroduce back into your system a very high concentration of the bacteria that initially made you sick. We've discovered it has the ability to seek out and destroy the virus that is causing your current condition…"

"Ah!" O'Neill exclaimed as forcefully as he manage, cutting off the doctor's potentially long-winded explanation. "Bottom line, Doc, please."

"I believe what Doctor Fraiser is trying to tell you, O'Neill, is that despite our best efforts, you may still die," Teal'c replied, his blunt answer causing all eyes took turn to him in shock.

Clearing his throat, Daniel put a hand on the large man's shoulder. "Teal'c, that may have been a bit _too_ bottom line."

"No, no, he's honest. I like that in a person," O'Neill muttered. "It was your timing though. Have Daniel help you with that."

"Please, Colonel," Carter implored, though relieved to see he was lucid enough to try a joke. "This is serious."

"Sir, I'm afraid Teal'c is correct. Although I can't give you any specifics, if we're even the slightest bit off with our timing, the possible side effects could range anywhere from a very high fever, multiple organ shut down, heart failure, coma, convulsions, irreversible brain damage…"

O'Neill wearily pressed a hand against his forehead, a dull, throbbing of pain forming at the back of his skull. "Sounds like a blast…"

"Jack, this may be your only chance at beating this bug," the archeologist added. "According to the message we translated, it should work."

Fraiser frowned, unsure what else to tell him. "I'm sorry I don't have more information to offer you, Colonel. The medical world has never seen anything like this before, and until we see how this "virophage" works within the human physiology, we can only make guesses at what's going to happen."

O'Neill sighed and opened his blood shot eyes for a moment, barely able to make out the anxious expressions on the people that surrounded him. He hated making tough decisions, especially ones that would affect the people he cared about. "Doc, if I do this, and I… and if things don't work out for me, would it still benefit your research to maybe help someone else?"

Startled by the question, the doctor found herself momentarily faltering. "O-of course, s-sir."

The man nodded and shut his eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Looks like I'm gonna be a guinea pig."

"Is that a yes, sir?" Carter asked, making no attempt to hide the hopefulness in her voice.

Reaching over and gently replacing the oxygen mask, Dr. Fraiser could tell he was rapidly dropping out again. "Colonel?"

"Bring it on, Doc," he uttered as the reprieve of sleep finally swept over him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The impromptu meeting with General Hammond had gone over surprisingly well; his willingness to pursue a viable treatment for O'Neill was overwhelming. After hearing the proposed plan of action, Hammond promptly ordered the preparation and immediate departure of SG teams 4 and 7 to P4X-564. Intent on keeping the mission as safe as possible, Teal'c had volunteered to accompany the teams off-world to assure no one would accidentally become contaminated during the water retrieval process. Several hours had since passed, and the two remaining members of SG-1 found themselves struggling to stay occupied as they waited for the teams to return.

His head propped up on two fingers, Daniel watched as Carter fussed about her lab, a bewildered expression fixed on his face. He'd come to accept the fact that neither one of them had accomplished anything since seeing their friend off through the Gate, aside from being chased out of the Infirmary by Dr. Fraiser who insisted they needed some time away.

Finding himself becoming motion sick by Sam's incessant pacing, Daniel plucked off his glasses and pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "Sam, will you _please_ sit down?"

"What?" she asked, seemingly preoccupied with her thoughts.

"Sit. Down. Please."

"Me? You mean right now?"

"No, tomorrow," he replied with no attempt whatsoever to hide his sarcasm. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at her exasperated look, he quickly reached under the central workbench and nosily pulled out a stool. "Come on, Sam. Your pacing is making me dizzy."

Puffing out a sigh as she dropped down across from him, Carter immediately began to drum her fingers on the table. "I hate waiting at times like this."

"So do I," Daniel quickly agreed.

"I mean we could be so close to being able to help Colonel O'Neill…"

"We _are_ close to helping Jack."

"But what if something goes wrong?"

"Then we'll find a way to fix it."

"The translation could be off."

"Or it could be right on."

"The proportion calculations could have errors."

"I'm sure they're just fine."

"We could be making things worse."

"We could be making things better."

Head hanging in defeat, Sam ruffled her unwashed hair before dropping her face in her hands. "How can you be so positive at a time like this?"

"Not sure," he replied, grunting as he stretched his arms over his head. "My guess is that it's the combination of too much coffee and lack of sleep."

She snorted and shook her head. He was probably right.

"UNSCHEDULED OFF-WORLD ACTIVATION…"

Startled as the computer generated voice flooded the small lab, Sam turned to see Daniel looking as equally puzzled as she was.

"Could it be Teal'c and the other teams already?" he asked, both getting to their feet to investigate for themselves.

"I doubt it," Sam muttered, unsure who else would be paying them an unannounced visit. "They should be gone for at least another hour. That is unless something went wrong…"

Even before she had finished her thought, the two members of SG-1 took off for the Control Room at a sprint, their minds rapidly filling with worst-case scenarios.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I can honestly assure you that this was never the intention of the Tok'ra high council," Jacob explained, the team having assembled in the briefing room for privacy. After catching the former General up to speed, the others sat back to listen to what he and his symbiote could offer. "The experiment unexpectedly went sour after many years of success and the project was abandoned following the tragic loss of its researcher."

"So the Tok'ra _did_ create this weapon?" Carter asked, finding it hard to believe that such a peaceful race would create something so malevolent.

"It's not a weapon," her father insisted from his place beside her. "At least not in the sense that you or I would think of."

"It's a way to remove a Goa'uld symbiote from a host, right?" Daniel speculated.

Jacob lowered his head to his chest for a moment, indicating his symbiote was about to speak. "Yes, that is correct, Dr. Jackson. It was created during the time that the Tok'ra were experimenting with ways to destroy Goa'uld symbiotes without causing significant damage to the host."

"Wait a minute, you're saying you _created_ these pathogens yourselves?" Dr. Fraiser asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

"Yes. Ka'reem, a highly respected Tok'ra scientist, developed and formulated the method several hundred years ago," Selmak explained. "During its infancy, Ka'reem's system of co-existing organisms effectively freed many hosts from their Goa'uld captors."

"How?" Daniel asked, resting his forearms against the table.

"It was after witnessing the success of the project, the Tok'ra high council made the decision to expand the extent of the research. Essentially, the entire planet of Pa-Reece was turned into a Goa'uld deathtrap by infusing the planet's water table with the virus. Once the pathogens had reached acceptable levels, substantial amounts of Naquadah were arranged over naturally occurring geysers before our operatives anonymously broadcasted the planet's address.

"Needless to say, it wasn't long before the prospect of obtaining such a valuable supply of ore drove Goa'ulds from all over the galaxy to Pa-Reece. Once there, they soon discovered that any attempt to remove the columns of Naquadah would result in an uncontrollable eruption of water. Contact with the contaminated water brought death to the symbiote within hours in both Goa'uld and Jaffa alike, often before they could even leave the planet. In most cases, the hosts and even many Jaffa survived, as part of Ka'reem's process often restored their immune systems."

"So what went wrong?" Sam questioned, finding herself intrigued by the events.

Selmak sighed, uncomfortable with discussing the failures of his kind so openly. "The virus was initially designed to overwhelm the healing properties of a symbiote and swiftly destroy it."

"Well that would explain the Colonel's inter-cranial swelling," Fraiser remarked. "Once it reached a certain point, the symbiote would have a difficult time remaining blended with the host."

"Precisely," he agreed. "The absence of the symbiote would then allow the previously dormant bacteria to emerge and exterminate the virus. To accomplish this, the bacteria must take the host to the brink of death to significantly weaken the virus before destroying it. The protein marker left behind by the symbiote would later eliminate the bacteria.

"Although it worked reliably for many years to come, Ka'reem's research continued to show that the composition of the virus was changing. More and more hosts began to die as the bacteria failed to do its job, and it was soon discovered that the virus was releasing an inhibiting chemical, the same one that you mentioned earlier, Doctor."

"So the virus mutated?" Fraiser asked, looking up from the lengthy list of notes she'd been taking.

"Yes, and from the images and data you've collected, I would have to say it has continued to do so, desolating a planet that was once rich with life," Selmak continued. "Ka'reem believed it did this as a form of self preservation. As its properties changed, the virus became exceedingly more powerful and deadly than he had ever intended. It took the accidental deaths of several Tok'ra researchers before the high council ordered the project to be abolished. It was on Ka'reem's last visit to Pa-Reece that he carved the message into the Naquadah columns in an attempt to stop the unnecessary deaths of those intelligent enough to decipher it.

"It was on the return trip that he and his research team were killed when their cargo ship was surrounded and destroyed by several death gliders from Ra's fleet. The loss of life and years of research was tragic and unexpected. In an attempt to preserve Ka'reem's good name, it was decided to strike all evidence that his life's project had failed from the council records. Over time, Pa-Reece and its deadly secret were simply forgotten. That is, until now."

"If you knew this "project" had gone sour, why didn't you bury the Stargate when you had the chance?" Daniel questioned, the option seeming perfectly logical to him.

Selmak bowed his head, allowing Jacob to speak once again. "The planet's location was part of the data was erased from the records. You have to understand that things operated a little differently back then, esteem being more valuable than honesty."

"It's starting to sound more and more like the Goa'uld to me," Sam uttered, shaking her head.

"Times have changed," her father replied. "The bottom line is that Ka'reem's virus, in its original form, would not have harmed anyone without a symbiote. It was not created as a weapon, but as way to free those who had been blended."

While he listened, Daniel pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket, taking a moment to reexamine the translation of the message. "Well, this Ka'reem must have had some idea of what was going on. I mean, after all, he _did_ post a cure specifically for the unblended on the Naquadah columns."

"You deciphered it?" Selmak had returned, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"They certainly did," Hammond replied, looking proudly at the group before him.

"You people never fail to amaze me."

"So it'll work, right? We just reintroduce the bacteria into Colonel O'Neill at the specified proportion and it'll cure him?" Sam finally asked, cutting to the chase.

"In theory, yes," Jacob answered hesitantly.

Fraiser raised an eyebrow. "In theory?"

"It's all speculation based on the research he did. Ka'reem never actually had a chance to test out the formula once he discovered the virus's new form could harm humans," he said, watching his friend's faces go from hopeful, to angry, to disappointed.

"So I could have just endangered the well-being of two of my teams by sending them on a possible wild goose chase?" Hammond demanded.

Jacob held up a hand to try and calm the General down. "George, it's Jack's best chance at survival. Ka'reem was a brilliant scientist and the entire project was his creation. If anyone could come up with a cure, it would have been him."

"Assuming he took into consideration that the virus was going to keep mutating," Fraiser said, glancing back through her notes with a sigh.

"Are you still willing to attempt this, Doctor?" Hammond asked, seeing the reluctance on her face.

"My initial reaction is no, sir," she replied, quickly continuing when Sam opened her mouth to protest. "But, seeing as I've had no success with any of the remedies at my disposal, and the Colonel has given me permission to continue, at this point I think Jacob is right. It is his best chance."

"SCHEDULED OFF-WORLD ACTIVATION…"

Hammond sighed as he pushed himself up from his place at the head of the table. He was hesitant to allow them to try a several hundred year old, untested treatment on one of his top officers, but at this point, they didn't have much to lose. "Very well. I'll have the procured water delivered directly to your lab so that you may begin processing it right away. I want hourly updates on your progress and immediate notification of any changes in Colonel O'Neill's condition. If anyone can get our man back on his feet, I'm confident it'll be you. Let's make this work, people. Dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So what's the plan again?" Major Carter asked, as she and Dr. Fraiser navigated the maze-like hallways of the SGC. The corridors of the Infirmary level were unusually crowded for the early evening hours, extra personnel having been called in to help with filtering the alien water. Although it had taken longer than they had initially predicted, the first dose of bacteria was ready, leaving everyone involved with mixed feelings of both hope and apprehension.

"We're going to start with 100 CC of the bacteria solution every four hours until we begin to see signs of improvement," the doctor began, ducking out of the way to avoid an inattentive technician who was struggling to balance a lopsided stack of papers. "According to the simulations Dr. Warner ran, the virus will begin releasing the caustic agent once its population becomes unstable. We believe we can counteract this process by doubling the dosage of bacteria as soon as the chemical is detected, essentially overwhelming the microbe and snuffing it out before it has a chance to regain control. Now without a symbiote's protein marker to destroy the bacteria, we're going to have to step in ourselves and begin administering high doses of Doxycycline, the same antibiotic that the Colonel responded to the first time."

"Do you think it'll work?" Sam asked, looking for reassurance to help her own uncertainty.

Fraiser sighed, unsure what to think herself. "For the Colonel's sake as much as ours, I certainly hope so."

"Major, Doctor."

Both women looked up when a tall man stepped into their path, his barber poll striped tie clashing loudly with his white lab coat.

"Dr. Warner," Fraiser greeted, glancing around at the hectic laboratory behind him. "I trust you have good news for us?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, beckoning them to follow him to the back of the room. "We've found that by keeping the solution on dry ice we can slow down the cannibalistic nature of the microbes without damaging them."

Sam reached out and took the bag of solution he removed from the fogging ice, her eyes widening as it immediately began to feel warm against her skin. "Wait, the caustic chemical's already in here?"

"We've diluted it as much as possible. The reaction should stop once the microbes are reintroduced to the virus," he explained, clearing his throat before continuing on hesitantly. "There's still time to reconsider this, Doctor."

Fraiser turned to look at him, her eyebrows arched in surprise. "Losing confidence are we?"

"No, ma'am," he replied quickly. "It's just this whole treatment is based on an unproven theory."

"A theory that comes from a race of being who are hundreds of years ahead of us in research," Carter retorted, just as stunned by the challenge as her friend. "My father even agrees that this…"

Warner raised his hand to stop her. "Major, I'm not insinuating anything bad against your father or the competence of the Tok'ra. I'm merely suggesting that the risks of this plan might outweigh the gain."

"Risks?" Fraiser uttered, employing the most authoritative voice she could muster. "Dr. Warner, we have _considered_ the risks involved and it's only through the unanimous decision between General Hammond, SG-1, the Tok'ra, and myself that we have agreed to give this plan a try. Now if you feel you're unable to complete the task I have assigned to you, I'm positive I can locate someone who can. Is that understood, Doctor?"

A moment of silence passed, Warner contemplating whether to pursue his argument further. Finally concluding that he couldn't win against the feisty temperament of the petite woman that faced him, he let out a defeated sigh.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "I'll get to work on the second dose immediately."

"Thank you," the doctor replied, waiting until the man was out of sight before taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Sorry you had to see that, Sam."

Carter stood for a moment in shock at the authority her normally serene friend had shown, a small grin finally spreading across her face. "Wow."

"What?" Fraiser asked, taking the warm bag of solution and replacing it in the bowl of dry ice.

"I've just never seen you so… I mean you… and you're usually so… not bad."

Now it was the doctor's turn to smile. Taking the bowl in her arms and motioning Sam to follow, she made her way towards the room's exit. "I like to keep that part of myself hidden. That way it's a surprise when it comes out."

"I'd say it worked."

"Usually does," Fraiser replied, stepping through the door that Carter held open. "Now, let's go put these little beggars to work, shall we?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The feeling of anticipation was nearly oppressive as the team gathered in the isolation room, all wanting to be present when the first dose of bacteria was dispensed. While anxiously waiting for Dr. Fraiser to be ready to administer the treatment, Carter had filled her two colleagues in on the confrontation that had recently occurred.

"You mean there was an argument and you didn't call me?" Daniel demanded, his arms folded across his chest.

"Daniel, there's nothing that you or anyone else could have said to change Dr. Warner's mind," Sam insisted. "He just doesn't agree with experimental treatments."

"I realize that," the archeologist replied, an impish grin appearing on his face. "I just wanted to see his reaction when Janet challenged him."

"Oh, Daniel…" Carter uttered, rolling her eyes at his answer.

"Okay, guys," Fraiser called, double-checking the new drip line she'd started to accommodate the treatment. Watching as the team approached O'Neill's bedside, the doctor could clearly see sorrow present in all their eyes.

"I guess this is it," Sam said quietly, welcoming the reassuring arm that Daniel wrapped around her. "No turning back now."

"Right," Daniel agreed. "No turning back."

"Are we ready?" Fraiser asked, reaching for the closed valve overhead.

With a tip of his head, Teal'c spoke one word for them all: "Indeed."

"Here we go," she said, opening the valve and stepping back, everyone watching as a slow, rhythmic drip began to fall from the bag above. The group stood in silence for a moment; their eyes trained on O'Neill almost expecting him to suddenly wake up, miraculously cured.

"Oh, god, I hope we're doing the right thing," Sam finally said, brushing a hand nervously through her hair.

"Have faith in what we have chosen to do, Major Carter," Teal'c remarked, his face solemn as ever. "O'Neill is a formidable person. I believe he will not allow himself to be defeated so easily."

Fraiser smiled kindly at the large Jaffa. "Let's hope you're right, Teal'c."

As the room once again fell into an uncomfortable silence, Daniel tugged up his sleeve to check his watch, discovering it was nearly 1900 hours.

"Well, looks like it's going to be a long night," he announced, the topic immediately catching the doctor's attention.

"Which is something we need to talk about…"

"Janet…"

"Sam," Fraiser cut her off, her voice threatening to return to the same tone she had used earlier on Warner. "In order to give Colonel O'Neill as much of a fighting chance as possible, it's going to take all of us working together as a team. We have no way of knowing what's going to happen once the bacterium establishes itself within his bloodstream. Now, I can't expect myself to be in this room all the time, and I certainly don't expect that of you. We each have our own needs that have to be taken care of, and as hard as it may be, we need to think of ourselves first. As I've said before, you won't be any help to the Colonel if you're exhausted or sick yourselves. I understand that you want to be here, and I believe you _should_ be here. That's why I'm going to allow you to take shifts, rotating every four hours."

"I guess that sounds reasonable enough," Daniel uttered, looking first to Teal'c then Carter for their opinions. "Right, guys?"

"Sure," Sam agreed, although having prepared herself for an all-nighter. "Teal'c?"

The large man nodded. "I concur."

"Good," the doctor said, relieved that no one had insisted on arguing. "I'm arranging for the first watch to start at 2200 hours. In the mean time, I suggest you all take some time for yourselves. Get some rest, grab something to eat, or just go to the surface for some fresh air. The better you feel, the more beneficial your time with the Colonel will be."

She stopped and sighed, noticing the reluctance that registered on all their faces. If she didn't get them moving fast, they'd never leave. Clapping her hands together, she began to herd them towards the door.

"Okay, everyone out. I don't want to see any of you until _at least_ 2200. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Daniel uttered, throwing her a mocked salute as he left the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With a yawn, Dr. Fraiser pulled up her lab coat sleeve to check the time, her watch revealing it to be just past 2300 hours. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept, but she was certain it was more than 24 hours ago.

_'Well, that's ironic,' _she thought with a snort. _'I just got through lecturing Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c mere hours ago about the importance of taking care for their needs… and here I can't even follow my own advice.' _

It wasn't that the doctor couldn't take the time for herself. She knew that with the combination of her competent nursing staff and the vigilance of SG-1 that O'Neill would be fine. It was her own moral conscience that was keeping her awake and on watch, something that happened anytime there was a critical patient in her care. And although she would never admit to picking favorites, she had become close friends with SG-1, making the thought of losing the team's irreverent leader unthinkable.

Fighting back another yawn, Fraiser stretched her arms over her head and sighed. _'Maybe a few hours wouldn't hurt. The next dose won't be ready until 0200; I could just crash in my office and keep my pager on. Yep, I think that's what I'll…'_

"Doctor."

Fraiser spun around in her chair, startled by the voice that had suddenly filled the room. Her eyes settling on the stocky form of Hammond, she jumped to her feet and squared her tired shoulders. "General. I didn't realize you were still here, sir."

"As you were, Doctor," he said, watching as the small woman immediately dropped back into her seat with a thump. "I've just been finishing up some paper work and I thought I'd stop by to see if you needed anything before I left."

"Oh, no, sir," she replied, her pounding heart finally calming down from the scare. "I think we've got everything under control. As much as possible anyway."

Hammond walked over to the large window of the observation deck and stared down at the scene below. Much like the night before, Teal'c sat perched on the floor at O'Neill's bedside, deep in a state of Keel'No'Reem. The room's major source of light came from the numerous pillar candles that surrounded him, their dancing flames casting an eerie glow on the Jaffa's solemn face.

"How's our man doing?" he asked, his gaze moving to the sleeping form of O'Neill. Even from where he stood, the General could still see the poor condition his officer was in, his perspiring body appearing almost ghostly against the pale green bedding.

"As good as he can be, all things considered," the doctor replied, quickly reviewing the lab report in front of her. "We went ahead with the second dose about an hour ago since there was no change in his condition after the first. His temperature's holding at 106 degrees and he's not responding to the medication we're using to help lower it. His pulse and respiration are double what they should be, and lab results are indicating that his kidneys are starting to shut down."

"Is there any good news?" Hammond questioned, his tone bordering on hopeless.

"He's still alive," she answered with a small shrug. "And there hasn't been any significant increase of the inter-cranial swelling in the past 24 hours."

Hammond frowned and shook his head. "Well, I guess that's _something_."

"I wish I could offer you more, sir, but I'm afraid it's just a waiting game right now."

"I know it is, Doctor," he said, turning to her with a sigh. "And I know you're all doing the absolute best that you can. Are you sure there's nothing I can do before I leave?"

"Just keep your fingers crossed, sir."

Hammond smiled and nodded as he pushed open the observation deck's heavy door. "I think I can do that. Have a good evening, Doctor, and please call me if anything changes."

"Of course. Goodnight, General," she said, watching as he almost reluctantly left the room and disappeared down the hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel struggled out of his jacket as he hurried down the hallway, all the while trying to keep control over several bulky books and a brown paper bag. He knew he was running late for relieving Teal'c of watch duty, but it had taken him longer than anticipated to find what he had gone off base for. Even after making record time getting back to the SGC, he had been held up on the surface while a maintenance crew repaired a faulty circuit on the elevator.

Finally freeing himself of his jacket as he rounded the final turn to the isolation room, the still winded archeologist found himself nearly colliding head on with Teal'c.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, his shoes squeaking on the concrete floor as he skidded to a stop.

"You appear to be in a hurry, Daniel Jackson," the Jaffa said, cocking his head at the man's disheveled appearance.

"Sorry…I went out to…I couldn't find…but than I did…and now the elevators…" Daniel panted, both from the trip down the stairs and the near collision. He took a moment to compose himself, Teal'c offering to hold the books that his colleague had tucked under his arm. "Thanks. Whew… so, what's going on? Why are you out here?"

"I was asked to step outside while Dr. Fraiser acquired a chest x-ray of O'Neill," he explained, handing back the dilapidated periodicals.

"A chest x-ray? What's wrong?"

"She believes he may be developing what she called pneumonia."

"That's awful," Daniel muttered, aghast by the news.

"It could in fact be quite the opposite, Daniel Jackson."

"How?"

"Selmak believes this may be the way that the virus's defensive chemical reacts within an unblended human."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "So, what, he thinks the virus count is growing unstable already?"

"Indeed," Teal'c answered simply. "He is currently with Dr. Fraiser attempting to persuade her of this."

"I leave for a few hours and look what I miss," Daniel uttered, puffing out a sigh. Shaking his head at the setback, he looked to the floor when his foot knocked something over. Kneeling down, he picked up and opened the paper bag that he'd forgotten. "Well, I know this probably isn't the best time to bring this up, but I just drove all over town to find them. Thank goodness for 24-hour drugstores."

"Sea Monkeys?" Teal'c inquired, accepting the brightly colored box and giving it a gentle shake. "Did you not say these were aquatic organisms, Daniel Jackson?"

"You have to hydrate them first," he explained, the confusion remaining on his friend's face. Retrieving the box, Daniel opened it and pulled out a folded sheet of white paper. "Just read this. Everything you need to know is right here in black and white."

The two men turned as three nurses emerged from the isolation room, a portable x-ray machine on a pushcart between them. "Dr. Fraiser says it's all right for you to return now."

"Thank you," Daniel replied, watching as they disappeared from view. "So, my turn to watch Jack?"

"I will remain if you wish," Teal'c offered, although his eyes were already scanning the directions on how to revive his new pets.

"I think I can manage," he said, patting the hefty man on the back. "You go make friends."

"Thank you. I shall do my best."

"Goodnight, Teal'c," he said, watching as the now mesmerized Jaffa ambled off slowly down the hall. With a grin, Daniel turned and headed for the isolation room, pausing just outside the door when the sound of Selmak and Fraiser's arguing voices caught his attention.

"According to this, the chemical is present."

"Yes, but it's nowhere near the levels it took to cause a reaction to occur during the lab experiments."

"As you should be aware, Doctor, reactions can differ greatly from the lab setting to the human body."

"I'm aware of that fact. I am also aware that the human physiology cannot withstand internal temperatures well over 100 degrees for a prolonged period of time. If I don't start taking measures to cool him down…"

"If you interfere now, you will destroy all of the positive progress we have made."

"_Positive progress_? All I've seen so far is a man in _my _care who's gone from sick to critical in less than 6 hours."

Detecting that the argument was becoming increasingly more hostile, Daniel decided it was time to try and break things up.

"Hi, guys!" he exclaimed, giving a small wave as he stepped as nonchalantly into the room as possible. "What's up?"

Selmak turned and greeted him with a slight tip of his head. "Dr. Jackson, we were just discussing our options."

Fraiser raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is _that_ what we were doing? Hardly."

With a frustrated sigh, Selmak lowered his chin to his chest, allowing Jacob to have control over his body. "I apologize for Selmak's insistence. He only wishes to help."

"I saw Teal'c in the hall and he mentioned that you thought Jack had pneumonia? What's going on?" Daniel asked, setting down his personal items and approaching O'Neill's bedside. The ailing man had remained sound asleep, totally oblivious to the argument going on around him.

"The Colonel started having difficulty breathing approximately three hours ago, about the same time his temperature began to rise again," the doctor explained, her tone slowly becoming less defensive. "I ordered a chest x-ray to check for pneumonia and for my team to start physically cooling him down. It was at this point that Selmak, who insisted it was time to double the dose of bacteria, confronted me."

"Jack's most recent lab work shows that the virus level has already begun to drop. The report also indicates that its defensive chemical has been released in low amounts to start counteracting the bacteria," Jacob said calmly. "Selmak believes that his new symptoms are how an unblended human reacts to the alien chemical, and therefore is suggesting we proceed with the next step of the plan."

Daniel nodded, the explanation sounding reasonable enough to him. "But?"

"But," Fraiser began, not willing to drop her point so easily. "The level of viral chemical is nowhere near what we saw cause a reaction during the lab experiments. If we double up on the bacteria too soon, the effects could be lethal."

"Is there a way to tell when the level is correct?"

"No. Ka'reem died before he had a chance to do any in depth research on the mutated virus," Jacob replied. "At this point, your guess is as mine, or Selmak's for that matter. All I can tell you is that he feels this is the right thing to do, and that this isn't the time to be having second thoughts."

Fraiser shook her head and turned to Daniel for help, a hint of desperation in her eyes.

"The Tok'ra haven't led us wrong yet," he uttered, ignoring the "whose side are you on?" look from the doctor. "We all knew there were going to be risks, and probably most importantly, this _is_ what Jack wanted."

The doctor frowned as she took a long look at her patient's face, the last few days of pain and misery obvious on his exhausted features. Puffing out a sigh, she turned to the one nurse that remained in the back of the room. "Lieutenant, there's been a change of plans. I need you to bring me a 200 cc dose of the bacteria solution from Dr. Warner's lab. I also need a crash cart, some cooling blankets, and a respirator put on stand by. Can you do that?"

"Yes, ma'am, right away," the nurse replied, dropping the supplies she'd been organizing and made her way towards the door.

Turning back to the others, Fraiser locked her steely gaze with Jacob's. "After I administer this round of bacteria, your suggestion will have until 0600 hours to make a difference before I try anything further. However, if the Colonel's temperature goes up, even a _tenth_ of a degree more, we're going to do things my way."

"Fair enough," he replied, Jacob deciding to do the talking for Selmak.

With a curt nod, the doctor gathered up several items from the bedside table before quickly leaving the room without another word.

"I sure hope you're right about this," Daniel muttered, taking a seat beside the bed and cracking open one of his aged volumes.

"So do I," Jacob uttered, heaving an apprehensive sigh before he too turned to leave the room. "So do I."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Major Carter yawned as she made her way down the winding halls of the SGC, both her mind and body struggling to wake up. She was still surprised that she had managed to get several hours of quality sleep, having passed out the moment her head met the pillow.

_'Now all I need is a cup of coffee and I'll be all set to go for another 24 hours,' _she thought with a smirk. Glancing down at her watch as she descended the stairs to the isolation room, she saw it was just past 0540 – her shift didn't start for another twenty minutes. _'All well…'_

Stopping at the room's entrance to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, Sam noticed the familiar figure perched on a chair beside the bed, his head tilted back and eyes shut. Raising an eyebrow in interest, she slowly entered the quiet room, unsure what her friend was doing.

"Daniel?" she asked, reaching out and shaking his arm.

"Wha!" he exclaimed, startling Sam as he shot upright in his chair, the book in his lap clattering to the floor with a bang.

"Take it easy, it's just me," she said quickly, trying to calm down her now racing heart.

"Sam…" he gasped, taking a moment to get his bearings. "Changing of the guard time already?"

Carter glanced over her shoulder to be sure they hadn't disturbed O'Neill before replying. "I'm a little early. What were you doing anyway? Sleeping?"

"Sleeping? No, I was just trying out some Kel'No'Reem techniques that Teal'c showed me," he said, leaning over with a grunt to collect his book from the floor. "How about you, get any rest?"

"A few hours," she replied, locating an extra stool at the back of the room and settling down beside him. "I saw my father in passing…"

"I guess he told you about the little disagreement then."

"Yeah. It was that bad, huh?"

Daniel shrugged. "Could have been worse. Selmak didn't get too upset; at least your father's eyes weren't glowing. Although I think Janet's came pretty close at one point…"

Sam grinned at his joke and rolled her eyes. "How's the Colonel doing?"

"Not much happening on the outside," he said, looking over at their pallid leader. "And god only knows what's happening on the inside. Janet confirmed he's got pneumonia. She should be down soon to…"

"Hold on, did you just hear that?"

Daniel shook his head, taken aback by her sudden question. "What? Did I hear what?"

"I swear I just heard something…" she uttered, pushing herself from her seat and approaching the Colonel's bedside.

Curious, Daniel stood and joined her, watching as she leaned precariously close to her superior's face. As he listened, he could just barely make out the sounds of O'Neill's raspy breathing over the hiss of the oxygen mask. "Ah, what are you…"

"Shh!" she shushed, holding up a hand to silence him. "Be quiet…"

"…Sam…"

"He's awake?" Daniel whispered, exchanging a surprised glance with his teammate. "How is that possible?"

"Colonel," she called, still startled that he had used her first name. "Sir, can you hear me?"

"…Hot…so hot…" the man uttered, his words scarcely audible.

"I know, sir. You're still very sick."

"…Sam…"

"I'm right here, Colonel," she said, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Gasping at how unbelievably hot his skin was against her own, she looked up to Daniel with wide, anxious eyes. "Get Janet. He's burning up."

After watching the archeologist wordlessly bolt from the room, Sam turned her attention back to the semi-conscious O'Neill. "Daniel's gone to get help, sir, just hang on."

"…Hard…"

"What's hard?"

"…Hard to…to breathe…"

Carter shut her eyes, her heart aching for her friend. "You have pneumonia, Colonel. It's how your body is reacting to the virus."

"Sam? What's going on?" Fraiser demanded as she came jogging into the room, two nurses and Daniel close on her heels.

"He's awake. He said it's hard to breathe."

"That's impossible. He's got enough sedative in him to knock down a man nearly twice his size," the doctor exclaimed. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"…Doc…"

"You are awake…" she muttered, still not believing what she was seeing.

"Janet, he's really burning up."

Snatching the thermometer from the bedside table, she quickly pressed it against the man's ear to get a reading. "Oh my god…"

"What is it?" Daniel asked, feeling the tension in the room rapidly rising.

"His temperature is 111 degrees," she replied quickly, motioning over one of nurses. "I want those cooling blankets and some ice bags down here immediately."

"Can he survive a fever that high?" Carter questioned, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Yes, but not for very long. We have to start getting him cooled down. Sir, can you hear me?"

"…Not feeling good…" he whispered, his dark eyes gradually slipping back into his head.

"Colonel?" the doctor called, noticing as a slight tremor began to take control over his left arm. "All right, help me get him on his side. I think he's going to…"

No sooner had O'Neill been moved to his side did the tremor turn into a full-blown convulsion, the violent spasms quickly encompassing his tall form.

"I need ten CCs valium over here now!" she shouted over her shoulder, a young nurse quickly complying.

Momentarily in shock, Daniel found himself unable to take his eyes off the seizing form of his team leader. Only when the drugs began to take affect did he sneak a look up at Sam, her wide eyes brimming with tears. "Sam?"

When she didn't respond, he reached out and took her trembling arm, surprised when she turned and buried her face into his shoulder. "Sam, he's going to be okay."

"Doctor, you might want to hear this," the nurse called, a look of uncertainty on her face as she listened to the now motionless Colonel's breathing.

Donning her stethoscope as she approached, Fraiser closed her eyes with a grimace upon hearing the labored, insufficient, and obviously painful gasps he was taking. "We need to secure his airway, prepare to intubate."

"Janet, what's going on?" Daniel asked, watching as they carefully repositioned O'Neill on his back and removed the pillows from beneath his head.

"He's not drawing enough oxygen on his own anymore. We're just going to give him some help," she replied, sighing before hesitantly adding: "I don't want to upset you, but the virus may have just gained the upper hand again."

At the doctor's words, Daniel heard a small sob from the shaking woman still clinging to his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, guys," Fraiser uttered, giving him a sympathetic look. "We tried."

"Thanks, Janet," he uttered, wrapping his arms around Carter.

"I thought we were doing the right thing," Sam whispered, her quiet voice trembling. "I thought…"

"Hey, he's still got a chance. He's not dead yet," he replied, trying to sound as positive as possible. Sighing, he gave his friend a comforting hug before gently tugging her from his shoulder. "Come on, I'll get you something hot to drink."

She nodded with a sniffle, allowing him to guide her from the isolation room with an arm wrapped tightly around her. Just before reaching the door, she turned back to see the doctor skillfully placing a clear tube down her commanding officer's throat.

With a muted sob, Sam shut her eyes as Daniel pulled her into a tighter hug. "She could be wrong, Sam."'

"I know," she uttered before adding silently to herself: _'God… please let her be wrong…'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam clutched her head between her hands, her entire body refusing to stop trembling. Resting her elbows on the top of Daniel's desk, she picked up her tear stained face and took a reassuring look around his cluttered office, her gaze pausing on his fish tank in the far corner. Rising from her chair, she slowly made her way over to the bubbling tank that was home to several colorful fish.

Needing something to distract herself, Sam reached for the bottle of pellets that was kept beside the tank and tapped in a small amount of food, watching as the bright creatures eagerly swam to the surface to feed. Smiling slightly at their simple elegance, she gazed at them contentedly until one of them abruptly splashed, instantly sending her mind back to P4X-564 at the time of the accident.

_"Colonel!"_

_"Jack grabbed me away from the edge and the camera flew out of my hands. I just reacted…"_

_"Should we not attempt a rescue?"_

_"Colonel, are you all right?" _

_"I will once I get my hands around Daniel's neck!"_

_"Sir, I've got climbing gear, I'll throw you a rope."_

"Negative, Major… I'm going to have to swim out…Meet you at the shoreline, kids... Don't be late now."

"Yes, sir…" 

"Sam?"

"What!" Carter wheeled around from the tank she'd been staring into, her hip smashing painfully into its stand. "Damn it!"

"Oh, Sam, I'm sorry I startled you."

"I-It's all right," she uttered, massaging the throbbing lump that was forming beneath her pants. "I was just thinking about…Dad, what are you doing here?"

Jacob smiled warmly as he approached his daughter, noticing the mascara and tear stains that ran down her cheeks. "Daniel thought it would be a good idea if I came down to see you. He's gone to tell Teal'c what's going on and place a call into General Hammond. Are you okay?"

She looked down at her leg, the pain beginning to quickly fade into a dull ache. "Oh, I'm fine. It'll just be a colorful bruise for a few days…"

"No, I mean… Daniel told me about what happened with Jack," he said, stepping up and taking her hands in his. "Are you okay?"

Sam tried to nod nonchalantly, but the worried look in her father's eyes made it impossible for her to hold back. With a sob, she grabbed him up in a tight hug and buried her face into his shoulder. "Dad, I can't believe this! We came so close! I thought we were doing the right thing! We tried so hard, and now the Colonel…"

"Sam, listen to me," Jacob said, holding his daughter tightly. "You _did _the right thing. You took the risk that Jack asked you to take and you stuck by his side."

"What good does it do him now?" she uttered bitterly. "Janet said…"

"There's a good chance that Dr. Fraiser could be wrong."

"What?"

Jacob gently moved her off his shoulder before his chin dropped to his chest. "I am sorry for the pain that this has caused you, Major Carter. I assure you, this suffering was never the intent of Ka'reem."

"Selmak?"

"Dr. Fraiser unwittingly made her assumption based solely on her knowledge of Earth viruses, not taking into account the fact that what we're dealing with is entirely alien. If I'm correct, what you witnessed was the virus's last desperate attempt at survival before being terminated by the bacteria. I believe the worst is over. "

"You think he still has a chance?"

Selmak nodded.

"That's great! Have you told Janet?"

"Yes. However she remains skeptical, but considering what has transpired here over the past few days, I feel her doubt is rightfully so," he said. "Until Colonel O'Neill's lab results come back, there is no way to know for certain if my beliefs are correct."

Sam felt her rising hopes abruptly halted with the symbiote's final comment. "I should know by now not to get my hopes up for good news that's free of buts, maybes, and other disappointing consequences."

"Sam…" Jacob chuckled, having regained the use of his body. He sighed and pulled her into a warm hug, relieved to find she had calmed down from when he first entered. "The worst is over for Jack, but now the hard part starts for us."

Sam picked her head up from her father's shoulder to look him in the eyes. "What could possibly be any harder?"

With a sympathetic smile, he reached up and brought her forehead down to touch his before answering with a single word. "Waiting."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel frowned as he looked into his empty coffee mug, slightly distraught at how quickly he had drained it. Although it had been his third cup of the morning, his beyond tired body seemed impervious to the caffeine he was feeding to it. With a weary sigh, he picked up the steaming carafe from the center of the conference table and poured himself another cup.

"Did you get any sleep at all last night?" Carter asked, the few hours she'd gotten herself allowing her to be at least semi productive.

Daniel took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes with a groan. "That all depends on if you count the twenty minutes I blacked out in the locker room."

The team had gathered for a 0800 briefing with General Hammond, to formally catch him up on what had occurred with O'Neill during the night. After hearing the grim news, he had suspended the meeting until Dr. Fraiser had obtained the Colonel's lab results, which would enable them to discuss what their next step would be.

Slowly becoming impatient with waiting, Sam sighed as she turned to Teal'c, the large man's attention focused on a small glass jar on the table in front of him. "Whatcha got, Teal'c?"

"I am awaiting the emergence of my sea monkeys," he replied, his head resting atop his folded hands.

"Any luck?" she asked, taking the jar of cloudy solution and holding it up to the lights.

The Jaffa frowned. "I have yet to see any progress."

"Don't worry," she assured him, gently replacing the container. "Waiting is the hardest part."

"Let's get back together, people," Hammond's voice boomed as he reentered the room, Dr. Fraiser and Jacob close behind. Once everyone had taken their respective seats, all eyes immediately turned to the petite doctor whose hands clutched a manila file folder. "Anytime you're ready, Doctor."

"Thank you, sir," Fraiser said, clearing her throat before continuing. "I just received the results of Colonel O'Neill's latest blood work and it would appear that Selmak was correct. According to the report, the virus has been completely eliminated from his system, leaving very little residual waste behind. I've already started the Colonel on a high dose of Doxycycline to begin combating the bacteria. It's not my first choice to treat his pneumonia, but it seemed to do the trick before. And with a little luck, we should see some indication of improvement within the next 12 to 24 hours."

"That's great!" Sam exclaimed, fighting back the urge to give a whoop of happiness.

"It certainly is," the General agreed, his expression mirroring the relief of those around him.

"How's Jack doing now?" Jacob asked, giving his daughter's hand a squeeze.

"He's unconscious but stable," the doctor answered, flipping through her notes. "We've managed to bring his temperature down to around 105 degrees through medication and external cooling. It's still not great, but it's certainly better than where he was this morning. I've got him on an anticonvulsive as a precaution, and I plan to keep him on the respirator for at least several days to allow his body some recovery time. All in all, I'd say he's doing pretty good considering what I thought earlier."

"Looks like Ka'reem's message was right after all," Daniel uttered, turning to Jacob with a grin. Sam's father dropped his head, Selmak coming forward to speak.

"Yes. It is a shame he could not be here to witness the latest outcome of his life's work. I am certain he would be pleased by the result, and grateful to those who helped make it a success."

"Is there anything we can do to aid in O'Neill's recuperation?" Teal'c asked, momentarily taking his eyes off his jar.

"Rest a little easier," Sam muttered, suddenly realizing how tired she was now that she knew her commanding officer would soon be improving.

"That's exactly what I want you to do._ All_ of you," Fraiser said, making sure she made eye contact with each member of SG-1. "Everyone here needs to take some time for themselves, to get some sleep, get cleaned up, and have a decent meal."

Daniel was the first to object. "Well I think one of us should still be with Jack. I mean just because he's getting better…"

"The best thing for Colonel O'Neill right now is sleep, and I can assure you that's all he'll be doing for the next 72 hours at least," she replied, continuing on before anyone else could protest. "I understand you all want to support him and that's fine, but knowing the Colonel, his mind is going to recover far more rapidly than his body. I've decided to leave it up to you all to keep him occupied and out of my hair until he's well enough for discharge."

Sharing an amused grin with Jacob, General Hammond stood from the table. "Sounds like you have your orders, SG-1."

"Yes, sir," Carter uttered, deciding that a long nap, a hot shower, and a sizable meal didn't sound bad at all.

"You've all done a commendable job for helping to save Colonel O'Neill's life," he continued on, his eyes shining with pride. "Even when things looked hopeless, you stuck to your guns and never gave up. I believe the strength you all possess as a group, is ultimately what helped keep the Colonel alive during this difficult time. You trust one another, and you care for one another. And in my book, that's what it truly means to be a team. Good job, people. Dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Buttoning her olive drab shirt as she exited the elevator, Major Carter briskly made her way down the hall towards the Commissary for the day's first round of coffee. She had arrived early to catch up on overdue work, having spent the past three days either on base with the Colonel or her father. It was only after he'd left to report back to the Tok'ra council that she made the decision to head home to sleep in her own bed for the first time in nearly a week.

Negotiating her way through the passage, she realized there were few people to see along the way, mainly officers from the night shift that were preparing to head home. Tugging out the wrinkles in her uniform, she looked up just in time to see a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction.

"Morning, Daniel," she called, the archeologist giving a short wave at the sight of his friend. "Have time for some coffee?"

"Always. So, how'd it feel to sleep in your own bed last night?"

"You know, I never thought that old, lumpy mattress could feel so good," she replied, recalling how uncomfortable the standard issue cot she'd been using had been. "I haven't slept that well in days. How 'bout you?"

"Well, I made it as far as my couch," Daniel admitted with a sheepish grin. "Guess I was more tired than I thought."

The two teammates walked on without speaking for a moment, both enjoying the silence of the early morning. Although the past few days had come and gone without mishap, no one would allow themselves to fully relax until they were certain O'Neill was completely out of danger.

As they entered the Commissary, Sam found she could hold her question back no longer. "How is he?"

"Seems to be all right," he replied, picking up a ceramic mug from the pile and moving on to the carafes of coffee. "Janet said his fever is nearly gone and the swelling in his head is slowly improving. She thinks it's just a matter of time now before he starts to wake up."

"That's a relief," Sam uttered, by passing the assortment of breakfast items that were displayed on the warming table. "I'm anxious to see him this morning."

"Well, you might want to reconsider some breakfast then," Daniel said, picking up a plate of golden pancakes.

"Really, I'm not that hungry…"

"Janet told me not to even let you near Jack's room until you've had something to eat," he explained, looking at her over his glasses. "And the look on her face said she wasn't kidding."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Daniel…"

"Come on," he crooned, slowly passing the plate of steaming cakes under her nose. "They're delicious. Fresh from the freezer. Heated up just for your enjoyment."

"You're not going to leave me alone until I take them, are you?"

"Nope."

As the smell of the warm pancakes began to make her mouth water, Sam sighed and snatched it from his hands. "Fine. You win."

"_Yes!_" Daniel flashed her a wide grin and picked up a plate for himself before following his colleague over to the seating area.

"Hey, has there been any word from my father yet?" she asked, taking a seat across from him. Snatching a bottle of imitation syrup from the table behind her, she began to submerge her breakfast in the gooey, brown liquid.

Keeping his 'have some pancakes with your syrup' comment to himself, Daniel zealously dug into his own meal. "Nothing yet, but I'm sure the Tok'ra council isn't too thrilled to hear that one of their old, allegedly nonexistent projects has come back to bite them in the ass."

"Probably not. Do you think they'll do anything about it?"

He shrugged. "Doubt it. You know how the politics around this sort of thing work. The Tok'ra seem to be more concerned with saving face than saving lives at this point."

Carter's shoulders slumped at his comment. "Yeah, I suppose."

"Look, we've had a bad stretch of luck. Maybe we're in the clear for a while." He said, watching as she dejectedly dragged her fork through the pool of syrup on her plate "Come on, you'd better eat up. We have a busy day ahead of us."

"Oh, really?" she asked, flatly.

"Yep. General Hammond said something yesterday about a mainframe overhaul and full system diagnostic on the Stargate…"

"Aw, damn! Is that today?"

The archeologist nodded, his mouth full of food. "It's what he said. I thought you liked doing that sort of thing?"

"I do usually. I guess my heart's not back into working just yet."

"Maybe the General would reconsider if you asked…"

"Uh-uh," she replied, spearing a piece of sticky pancake with her fork. "I can't expect the Universe to stop expanding just because my work ethic is still on leave."

"How hard is it to do these things?"

"How hard? Not very," she answered with a small shrug. "I mean anyone could probably pull it off with some pointed guidance and basic knowledge of the 'Gate's operation systems. Why?"

"You want some help?"

"From…?"

"…Me?"

"You!" Her response burst out before she could hide the shock in her voice, followed by a moment of uncontrollable giggling. "Oh, Daniel, that was a good one."

Bewildered, Daniel sat back and stared at his friend. "I-I was serious, Sam."

"Ooh, um…sorry. I thought you were kidding," she uttered, wiping the tears of laughter from beneath her eyes. "Daniel, I just didn't picture you as the number crunching type."

"Oh, well, I'm not," he admitted slowly. "It's just I have no plans for today and I thought you might like some help. You know, just to keep your mind busy."

"I would. Thank you."

"No problem," he said, then adding with mocked bravado: "Besides, how difficult can it _really_ be?"

A genuine smile crossing her face for the first time in days, Sam dug heartily into her now cold breakfast. "Aren't you in for a treat."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pausing to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room, Dr. Fraiser leaned against the doorway and smiled at what she saw. Teal'c sat at his self-appointed post beside O'Neill's bed, the large sheet of white paper clutched between his hands. Although he was sitting back to, she could almost see the man's frown of concentration, his head cocked slightly to one side as if in thought.

"Still no luck, Teal'c?" she asked, stepping into the room. The paper crumpled to the large man's lap, his face dark with frustration.

"I do not understand," he muttered, snatching the now wrinkled paper from his lap and glaring at it in disgust. "Daniel Jackson instructed me to follow these directions precisely if I wished to succeed in raising sea monkeys. I have followed them exactly without success. Are these directions inappropriate?"

Picking the jar of murky water up from the table, the doctor gave it a gentle swirl before holding it up to the light. Squinting into the cloudy solution, she could just make out several tiny silhouettes darting around inside. "Why don't you have another look?"

His frown deepening, Teal'c retrieved the jar and held it to the light, his eyes searching for what his friend had seen. A moment later his gaze softened as he noticed the minute creatures for the first time. "Most impressive."

With a wide smile, Fraiser patted him on the back. "Congratulations, Teal'c."

Beaming broadly for a Jaffa, Teal'c tipped his head. "Thank you."

Still smiling, the doctor turned to the man in the bed behind her and gazed at his sleeping face. Although his health had been steadily improving over the past 72 hours, she had yet to see any definite signs that the Colonel would be awakening any time soon. Having been pleased with his progress, Fraiser had removed the respirator and eased off on the sedative before leaving the previous night, hoping he'd be more responsive in the morning.

_'Apparently not…'_ she thought with a discouraged sigh as she donned her stethoscope and began checking him over. Once satisfied his condition had remained stable, the doctor set aside her notes and took a light grip on the Colonel's right hand.

"Colonel O'Neill?" she called, raising her voice slightly. "Sir, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my hand."

"Why does he not respond?" Teal'c asked, towering over the small woman as he stepped up beside her.

Fraiser shook her head with a frown. "He may just not be ready yet, or…"

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow when her sentence dropped off. "Or what?"

"Or he could have neurological damage," she finished reluctantly. "It's not uncommon to see damage of some degree after experiencing such a high fever."

"That would be most unfortunate."

"Yes, it would," she agreed, leaning close to O'Neill's ear to call one last time. "Colonel?"

When there was no response, she sighed and offered Teal'c an apologetic smile.

"May I try?"

Now it was her turn to cock an eyebrow. "If you'd like. But I wouldn't get your hopes up, Teal'c."

"Than I shall attempt to keep my hopes down," he replied seriously. Leaning in close as the doctor had, the large man called out to his sleeping friend in his best First Prime voice: "O'Neill, it is time for you to awaken."

Startled by the sudden jerk that went through his body, it took her a moment to realize the Colonel had reacted to Teal'c's voice. "Again, Teal'c. I think he heard you."

"O'Neill, Dr. Fraiser wishes you to compress her hand."

Her heart in her throat, Fraiser watched as the man's fingers slowly curled around her own before giving a weak squeeze. "Colonel? Can you hear me?"

"…Doc…" the man whispered, his dark eyes gradually cracking open for the first time in days.

"This is incredible," she uttered, looking up at Teal'c with a smile. "You did it."

"Shall I go inform Major Carter and Daniel Jackson of his awakening?"

"Sure. I think a short visit is in order."

"It is good to see you, O'Neill," the Jaffa said with a low bow before departing to locate the others.

"Sir, how do you feel?" Fraiser asked, once they were alone.

After a moment to process the question, the Colonel replied barely loud enough for her to hear: "…Hung over...real bad…"

She grinned widely, amused by his response. "I bet you do."

"…Happened…?"

"It's a long story. You've been very sick with a virus that you picked up on your mission to P4X-564. It was touch and go for a while there, sir. You're very lucky."

"Carter? Daniel?"

"The rest of your team is fine. You were the only one exposed."

He nodded slowly, wincing as he tried to swallow.

"You've only been off a respirator for about 12 hours, sir. You're throat is going to be uncomfortable for a little while. You want some water?"

He nodded, readily accepting the straw and glass she offered.

"How's your head feel?" she asked once his thirst had been quenched.

"Hurts."

"The virus caused significant inter-cranial swelling that you haven't fully recovered from yet. I'll get you something for the pain," she said, looking up as his three teammates entered the room. "But first there are some people here who I think would really like to see you."

"Hi, Jack," Daniel greeted with a playful salute as the small group gathered around his bed.

"…Danny..."

"So, how you doin'?"

"Never better."

"It's good to see you awake, sir," Sam said, unable to hide the relief on her face. "We really thought we'd lost you for a while."

O'Neill simply nodded, allowing his increasingly heavy eyelids to drop shut.

"He still has a long way to go before his strength returns," Fraiser explained, the man's exhaustion evident on his pale features. "We really should let him rest. I just thought a quick reunion would help ease your minds."

"Oh yeah," Daniel agreed, noting how much cooler his friend's skin felt as he gently clapped him on the shoulder. "Good to have you back, Jack."

"Indeed," Teal'c said, a slight gleam in his eyes.

A hint of a grin appeared at the corner of O'Neill's mouth. "Thanks."

"Sir, I'll be right back. I'm going to get something to help your head," Fraiser said, gathering her notes from the table before motioning to her friends. "C'mon, I'll walk you guys out."

"Sam? You coming?" Daniel asked when he saw she was lingering behind.

"Yeah, you go ahead. I'll catch up in a minute," she called over her shoulder. Once alone in the room, she quietly sat down on the stool beside the bed and gazed thoughtfully at her dozing commanding officer. Although his appearance was still pale and weak, he lacked the deep lines of pain that had distorted his face for nearly a week. She dared say that his deep brown eyes even had a hint of the old O'Neill sparkle, which by itself was enough evidence for her that he was starting to feel better.

"I'm glad you're back, Colonel," she uttered, before standing to leave with a wavering sigh.

"…Carter…?"

"I'm here."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing…" she replied, the words leaving her mouth a little too quickly to be genuine. "I'll let you sleep."

"Carter, I'm sick, not stupid," O'Neill said, forcing his tired eyes open. "What's wrong?"

"I was just…" Sam began, pausing to steady her shaking voice. "I was worried about you, sir. You were really, _really_ sick for awhile there and… I guess what I'm trying to say is you scared me."

"What?" he asked, furrowing his brow. "Major, I…"

"I know, sir, that I'm not supposed to let my emotions get in the way but…" she rambled on, her body trembling slightly. "But what you went through, the pain, the suffering… and there was nothing I could do. I felt so helpless just watching, I…"

"Carter!" O'Neill feebly shouted, his sore throat blatantly protesting to the sudden outburst. She looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry."

"No, sir, I don't want you to…"

The Colonel reached out and took one of her shaking hands into his own. "Listen, I'm not _really _sure what happened, but I'm sorry. Believe me. Please."

She nodded and sniffed, her hand wrapping tightly around his. "Yes, sir."

"Besides, you should know by now that it's gonna take a hell of a lot more than some alien _bug_ to finish off a stubborn old man like me. You got that?"

Sam smiled at this, relieved that he was well enough to make a joke. Squaring up her shoulders a bit, she replied as boldly as she could. "Yes, sir."

"All right, that's better," O'Neill said as his eyes dropped shut again, his energy reserves all but gone.

"Sam, is everything okay?" Fraiser asked as she reentered the room, a few sage green blankets tucked under one arm. Giving the Colonel's hand a final squeeze, she gently returned it to his side before standing.

"It is now," she answered, wiping the last stray tears from her eyes.

The petite woman smiled at her friend and began to unfold one of the blankets. "Good. Can you help?"

With a nod, Sam helped to tuck in the already sleeping O'Neill while the doctor administered some medication to help ease the pain in his head.

"He should be more up to chatting in a few days," Fraiser said, noticing the hint of a smile that was now on her friend's face. "Once his strength has a chance to return."

"Thanks, Janet," she said, with a relieved sigh. Reaching down to smooth out a wrinkle in the blankets, Sam hesitated only slightly before resting a warm hand against his cheek. "Welcome back, sir."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Who do you think it could be?" Daniel asked as he and Carter began to ascend the stairs leading to the briefing room. They had been hard at work for most of the day, nearly having completed the Gate diagnostics when General Hammond summoned them for an impromptu meeting soon after someone had arrived from off-world.

"Dunno," she replied, using the handrail to pull herself up the lofty steps. "I'm kind of hoping it's my…"

"Sam?"

"Dad!" she exclaimed, taking the remaining stairs two at a time. "I was hoping it was you."

"I'm sorry I left in such a rush yesterday," Jacob said, giving his daughter a warm hug. "Selmak felt it was imperative to report our findings to the other council members as soon as possible."

"What did they say?" Daniel asked, already anticipating him to report some self-righteous answer.

"That's why I called you here, Dr. Jackson," General Hammond said as he entered the room from his office. "If you'll have a seat, we can begin."

"Right," the archeologist uttered, quickly taking a seat between the already present Teal'c and Dr. Fraiser.

"I'd like to start out by apologizing on behalf of the entire Tok'ra High council," Jacob said once everyone had settled in. "No one ever anticipated Ka'reem's virus to become so volatile, and they are most remorseful for the pain endured by Colonel O'Neill and his team. They wish to assure you it will never happen again."

"How can they do such a thing?" Sam asked, not afraid to challenge her father's answer. "If we found PaReese, who's to say someone else won't?"

Jacob dropped his chin to his chest, allowing Selmak to speak. "That is why we are here, Major Carter. To ask for your help."

"Our help?" Daniel uttered, unable to hide the shock in his voice.

"Yes. The Tok'ra council wishes that the planet of PaReese be neutralized immediately. And we're asking the people of Earth to do it."

"Do the Tok'ra not possess the necessary means of destroying this world themselves?" Teal'c asked, resting his muscular forearms on the table.

"At the moment, we do not," Selmak replied honestly. "The nearest ship capable of performing such a task is several years away. We feel the sooner this planet can be destroyed, the better."

"Wait a minute," Sam blurted, suddenly realizing what was being said. "You want us to destroy the _whole_ planet? Do you realize what the implications of doing such a thing are?"

"After reviewing several possible methods with the council, we have come to the consensus that this is the only way to assure no one will ever come into contact with it again."

Hammond frowned in thought. "Jacob, I don't know if I can authorize something like this. As it stands right now, that planet holds the key to our Naquadah shortage."

"It's not worth it, George," Jacob said forcefully, regaining control of his body. "You saw what happened to Jack. Do you really want to take that risk again? I know the temptation is there; we even see it ourselves. But we also know there's more Naquadah out there that's a hell of a lot safer to get to."

"Could we not use the planet as a strategic weapon against the Goa'uld?" Teal'c asked, recalling the virus's original purpose.

Jacob sighed deeply. "That's another thing. When I presented the newest research to several of the Tok'ra scientists, they quickly determined it would have little to no effect on a larval Goa'uld."

Dr. Fraiser raised an eyebrow. "You're saying it'll no longer destroy a symbiote?"

"Exactly. In fact, the damage could be easily repaired by a symbiote just as any other illness. Time has allowed it to mutate far beyond its initial purpose."

"So, in a sense, the Goa'uld could now use it as a weapon against us?" Daniel murmured.

"Yeah, they could."

"It certainly wouldn't take much to contaminate a common water supply," the doctor agreed.

Jacob nodded. "And you have to realize that luck played a heavy role in Jack's survival. There's a strong chance others won't be as fortunate."

A loud sigh came from the head of the table as the General contemplated what to do. Part of him wanted to wait, the prospect of someday being able to safely collect such a valuable source Naquadah more than enticing. But then his thoughts would drift back to the events of the past week, and all the images of his sick officer and distressed teammates would flood into his mind. Even as badly as they needed the Naquadah for weapon development, he couldn't risk exposing anyone else to the torment that O'Neill and his team had gone through. And he wouldn't.

Finally, he turned back to his team. "What would it take to neutralize the planet?"

"Not much, sir," Carter replied. "With so much Naquadah present in the soil, a small charge would be more than enough to set it off."

"How do we get it there?" Daniel asked, the thought of returning to the planet for a third time daunting.

"We can send it through the Stargate on the back of a MALP. It'll just take me a few days to get it ready."

"Sounds like we have a plan, George," Jacob said, turning to his friend. "What do you think?"

Hammond sighed as he pushed himself up from the table, looking around at the expectant faces before him. "It sounds like we have a damn good plan. Major, take what you need to get the job done right. I'll arrange for deployment in three days. Until then, you're all dismissed."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

O'Neill gazed down at the beat-up old chess board that sat atop his bedside table, his eyes fixated on the black, horse-shaped knight that Daniel held his finger on. The two had been at the game for over an hour, the archeologist filling his friend in about what had occurred during the past week between moves.

_'Have to admit, the kid's pretty good…'_ O'Neill thought, watching as he proudly added the newly captured white rook to the queen, bishop, and several pawns he'd already collected. _'But not _that_ good…'_

"Your move," Daniel said, sitting back in his chair with a thump. It was still hard to believe that the man in front of him had been on death's doorstep only days before. Although far from being physically recovered, mentally he was back to his old self and already hassling Dr. Fraiser to release him from the confines of the infirmary.

"Check," O'Neill said, adjusting his weight against the mound of pillows that were propping him up.

"Okay, I should have seen that coming…" Daniel uttered, still amazed by the skill of his opponent. Stumped, he decided his best option was to stall and buy himself some time to think. "So, do you remember anything at all?"

"Just vague flashes of sounds and feelings…not to mention one hell of a headache. And then there was that whacked dream we both had…something I'm still a little disturbed about, by the way. "

"Ah yes, the dream," Daniel remarked thoughtfully. "A night to remember."

"I'd rather not," O'Neill uttered before changing the subject. "So you're certain the snakehead that killed us was really a Tok'ra?"

"From the descriptions I got from Jacob and Selmak, I think it's pretty safe to assume that we encountered the original creator of the virus, Ka'reem."

O'Neill cocked an eyebrow. "Ka'reem? As in shaving? Whipped? Krispy?"

He couldn't help but smile. "You got it."

The two men sat in silence for a moment, Daniel intently scrutinizing the game board, while the Colonel idly picked at the tape holding an IV catheter securely against his hand.

"So, Daniel…" he began, hesitant to ask the question that was on his mind.

"Hmm?"

"Be honest with me on this: was it really _that_ bad?"

Daniel lifted his eyes from the game. "We all thought we'd lost you for sure the last time your fever spiked. You were very sick, Jack."

O'Neill frowned and puffed out a sigh. "No wonder Sam was so upset…"

"Come again?" Daniel asked, confidently moving one of his pawns.

"What? Oh, I'm just thinking out loud," he uttered, looking up as the small doctor entered the isolation room.

"Am I interrupting anything important?" Fraiser asked, a metal clipboard wrapped loosely in her arms.

"Actually…" the archeologist began, his words abruptly cut off when the Colonel loudly relocated one of his knights on the board.

"Checkmate," he declared, turning to his friend with a wily grin. "Sorry, Danny Boy."

"But…"

"I thought I warned you about him?" the doctor questioned, enjoying the befuddled look on his face.

O'Neill stuck his hand out and snapped his fingers in the man's ear. "I believe that was a $25 bet I just won."

Grumbling incoherently under his breath, Daniel dug into his pocket and withdrew his wallet, depositing several crumpled bills into his friend's outstretched hand. "That's the last time I take a bet from you."

The Colonel just smirked and enthusiastically fanned the money before quickly squirreling it away in his pocket. "So, I can go home now, right?"

"Colonel," Fraiser warned, squaring back her shoulders as she spoke. "We've been over this already. _Believe me_, I will send you home the _moment_ I feel you're strong enough to take care of yourself."

"But…"

"Ah!" the doctor's sharp tone even causing Daniel to jump. "Why do you insist on making this so difficult?"

"Don't get mad at him, Janet. Jack only does what the voices in his head tell him to," the archeologist said with an impish grin.

Fraiser shook her head. "Either way, sir, it's a dead issue. And if I hear another word about it, I'm going to tell Sam you're not well enough to participate."

With a dissatisfied grunt, the man slouched back against the pillows and crossed his arms. "Typical power hungry…wait, participate in what?"

"The Tok'ra have asked a favor of the Taur'i," Jacob answered as he and his daughter entered from just outside the room.

"Jacob!" O'Neill greeted with a short wave. "Long time, no see."

He smiled. "Hi, Jack. You're sure looking better than when I saw you last."

"So I've heard. What's going on? What's the favor?"

"We've been asked to neutralize P4X-564," Sam replied, sitting down at the foot of his bed.

"Neutralize?"

"It means to destroy or…"

"I _know_ what it _means_, Daniel," he interrupted. "But why?"

"The High Council feels it's the only way to ensure no one will ever come into contact with the virus again," Jacob explained. "We've also determined that the mutation process had altered it more than originally thought. It's no longer capable of destroying a Goa'uld symbiote. We're concerned that if the Goa'uld somehow found out about this, they could use it as a highly effective and lethal weapon."

"But there's a cure…"

"You were lucky, Jack," Daniel said. "I don't think there are many people that could survive what you went through."

"He's right, sir," Fraiser agreed, taking the opportunity to look him over while he was distracted. "Although Ka'reem's solution works in theory, it left out key information on how to remove the bacteria from the body. While I was able to use antibiotics, there are other cultures that aren't as medically developed as we are."

"And even the ones that are may not respond to them like we do," Carter said. "And that's assuming they have the resources to translate and follow Ka'reem's message in the first place."

"The point is, Jack, is that if the Goa'uld did manage to expose a large number of people to the virus, there wouldn't be enough resources to go around. Populations would be devastated," her father added. "The Tok'ra can't let that happen. They won't let that happen."

O'Neill sighed, slightly overwhelmed with the idea of taking out an entire planet. "What does Hammond say about all this?"

"He approved the mission," Carter replied. "I've spent the last several days developing a specific charge that will cause an explosive chain reaction in the Naquadah that's present in the soil. Teal'c's helping to get the armed MALP on the ramp as we speak."

"So what do you need me for?"

"We want you to push the button," Jacob answered, the Colonel's face immediately lighting up with interest.

"Really? _Sweet_."

"That is if you think he's up to it," Sam said, turning to Fraiser for an answer.

The doctor sighed and looked to her patient. "Your chest is still a little congested, but otherwise you're doing better than I expected. I think you'd be fine as long as you take it easy."

O'Neill eagerly rubbed his hands together. "Great! When's the big bang?"

The Major checked her watch. "Everything should be set in about fifteen minutes."

Fraiser snapped her clipboard shut and started for the door. "I'll arrange to have a wheelchair brought down to…"

"Oh, hey, whoa," he exclaimed, overtly unhappy with the idea. "That wasn't part of the deal."

"Think of it as the fine print, Jack," Daniel uttered, ignoring the steely glare shot his way.

"If I'm going anywhere, I'm walking."

"Colonel, you've been on your feet less than twenty minutes over the past three days," the doctor told him. "And each time you wound up short of breath and exhausted. Do you honestly believe you're ready to walk out of here?"

"Yeah, I do," he retorted, stubbornly crossing his arms.

Fraiser set her jaw. "I'll level with you. You agree to a wheelchair from here to the Control Room, and I'll let you do the stairs on your own."

The man snorted. "_The stairs_?"

"Take it or leave it, sir."

"C'mon, Doc…" O'Neill began, but the look on her face told him she wasn't kidding. With a defeated sigh, he nodded. "Fine."

"Good," she replied with a smile. "I'll be right back then."

"Take your time," he called after her, dropping back onto his pillows. "By all means. I insist."

Shaking her head as she stood, Sam couldn't help but smile as she listened to her commanding officer grumble under his breath. "I'm going to go do a final check of the charge and MALP delivery system. We'll meet you there, Colonel."

"Well, Jack, it could be worse," Daniel said, having waited until the two Carters had left the room.

"Oh?" he muttered, once again picking at the tape on his hand. "How's that?"

"Janet could have ordered Teal'c to _carry_ you up the stairs."

Dropping his hands to his lap, O'Neill turned and stared deadpan at the younger man. "Daniel."

"Yeah?"

"I think you should know that I have a sudden and overwhelming urge to shoot you."

A grin spreading from ear to ear, the archeologist chuckled. "Oh yeah. We've got the old Jack's back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

O'Neill puffed out a sigh as he gazed hesitantly up the stairs to the Control Room. Usually he thought nothing of the short flight, taking it in his normal, two at a time fashion. But now, as he stood at the bottom surrounded by the eager faces of his friends and colleagues, they seemed to stretch on forever. Maybe pushing the issue of independence hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"We're ready when you are, sir," Carter said from the top of the stairs. He could see Jacob, General Hammond, and Teal'c in the background, along with the shimmering light that could only be caused by the active Stargate.

"Right," he muttered, taking hold of the guardrail with a perspiring hand.

"Sir, if you're not ready…"

"I'm ready, Doc," he said, more to convince himself than her. "I really am."

With a final determined sigh, he pulled himself up to the first step and onto the second. Trying not to think too much about what he was doing or how quickly he was tiring, O'Neill didn't realize he'd made it to the top until he found himself sitting in the Control Room, surrounded by his colleagues.

"Colonel?" the doctor was calling to him, her hand on his shoulder.

"Damn…" he gasped, abruptly aware at how difficult breathing had become.

"Just take it easy, sir. I think you went too fast a little too soon," Fraiser told him.

"Is he going to be all right?" Hammond asked from somewhere behind him.

"He just needs to catch his breath," she replied with a hint of concern in her voice. "How you doing?"

"Great…" O'Neill uttered, pounding a fist against his chest as he erupted into a coughing spell.

Fraiser turned to one of her nurses. "Would you go get an oxygen tank and…"

O'Neill held up a hand and shook his head. "No…"

"But, Colonel…"

"I'm fine," he panted, slowly straightening himself in the chair and looking around the room. Everyone stood frozen in place, their faces clouded with concern. "You can relax, folks. I'm all right."

"Jack, this can wait…"

"Jacob, I came all this way to blow something up. Don't take that away from me. Please."

He smiled. "Of course."

"It's good to have you back on board, Colonel," Hammond said with an approving nod. "It was getting too quiet around here without you."

"It's good to be back, General," he replied, the slight grin on his face fading as he looked down at the unflattering gray jogging suit he wore. "Though I am feeling a little underdressed for the occasion."

Tugging off his navy over shirt, Daniel stepped up and draped it over the man's shoulders.

"The shirt off your own back. What a guy," he remarked before turning his attention to the Major. "So, what do you need me to do?"

"Well, it's really pretty simple. Teal'c you want to help him into position?" Carter asked, gesturing at the blinking control box that faced the Gate Room window.

"Teal'c, how are those sea monkeys doing?" O'Neill asked as the large Jaffa pushed the squeaky office chair over to the flashing controls.

"They are well, O'Neill," he remarked with a tip of his head. "I am finding the experience to be most satisfying."

"Glad to hear it."

"Okay, sir, it's real easy. You see the MALP down there on the ramp?" Carter began, motioning towards the boxy vehicle standing by in the room below. "It's been rigged with enough PBX to create a powerful shockwave that will trigger a chain reaction between any Naquadah within a half kilometer radius. Once started, the reaction should continue to intensify as it feeds on the denser pockets of ore, and snowball around the entire planet. Since the data drawn from the simulations showed that the Stargate would likely be destroyed in the initial explosion, we won't know for sure how successful our plan was until the Tok'ra can spare a Cargo Ship to check it out first hand."

"Sounds good to me," O'Neill said, his eyes locked on the three blinking buttons before him. "Now what?"

She pointed to the first button. "This starts the MALP up the ramp."

He poised his finger over the button. "Mother, may I?"

"Yes, sir."

Without a moment's hesitation, he depressed the blinking key until it clicked, the MALP suddenly rocking to life. Gathering by the window, everyone watched in silence as it slowly crept up the ramp and disappeared into the vast sparkling puddle.

"Object is en route…" Daniel relayed, watching the computer track the MALP through space. "Reaching target destination in 4…3…2…1…now."

"Place hasn't changed much, has it?" O'Neill muttered, all eyes now on the planet's barren landscape that was displayed on the numerous screens throughout the room. "Next?"

"The second button arms the explosives and starts the one minute to detonation count down," she continued.

"Okeedokee," he muttered, a small countdown timer appearing on the computer as he pressed the button.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder. "Fifty seven seconds and counting."

"Okay, this last button sets the MALP on autopilot and should take it out about a hundred meters away from the Gate before it detonates."

Without hesitation, O'Neill depressed the final switch.

"Forty three seconds…"

"How long can the Stargate safely stay open?" Jacob asked, just as eager to see as much of the explosion as everyone.

"We'll have about five seconds to shut it off before we run the risk of any back flash coming through."

"Thirty five seconds…"

"How are you holding up, Colonel?" Fraiser asked, having left an eye on the man the entire time.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world, Doc," he uttered, his attention on the screen.

"Twenty nine…"

"Charges should be coming online…now," Carter explained.

"Twenty two seconds…"

Naturally impatient, O'Neill drummed his fingers lightly against the table. "Come on, come on…"

"Seventeen seconds…"

The General sighed uneasily. "How far away from the Gate is it?"

"Approximately eighty five meters," Daniel reported. "Fifteen seconds."

Jacob rested his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I sure hope this works, Sam."

"Ten seconds…"

"Me too, Dad."

"Detonation in 7…6…5…4…3…2…1…"

From the screens above came a fleeting, but brilliant flash as the explosives discharged, immediately destroying the MALP and plunging the monitors into darkness.

"Shutting it down!" Carter called as she entered the command into the computer. Dissolving like the surface of a bubble, the event horizon disappeared from within the Stargate, leaving behind the cold, metallic ring. "That's it. Now all we can do is wait."

"Do you think it worked?" Daniel asked, moving his glasses to the top of his head.

She sighed and straightened her back. "I don't know."

"Are you all right, O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned, noticing the man was unusually quiet.

"Oh, yeah," he said, though exhaustion was evident on his face. "That was fun. Thanks, Carter."

"No problem, sir. Anytime."

Slouching over in his chair, O'Neill watched through bleary eyes as a team prepared to head off world in the Gate Room below. Soothed by the familiar flurry of activity around him, he hadn't even realized he'd begun to nod off until a gentle hand patted his arm.

"Colonel?" Fraiser asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just beat," he uttered, scrubbing a hand through his rumpled, graying hair.

"Well, why don't we get you back to bed then?" she offered, motioning to Teal'c and Daniel. "I think you've had enough fun for one day."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, allowing his two teammates to help him to his feet. His senses numb, O'Neill hardly noticed as he was led down the stairs and back to the awaiting wheelchair. Accepting the blanket that the doctor wrapped around his shoulders, he settled heavily into the chair and allowed his eyes to shut.

"Not bad for your first mission since the accident, Jack," Daniel said, squeezing his shoulder. "It's not everyone that can say they've blown up an entire planet before."

"Yep," he murmured, welcoming the gentle rocking motion of the chair as the small group made their way down the hall. "I can finally scratch that off my 'things to do before I die' list."

"What was that?" Daniel asked, not having made out his friend's mumbled words. "Jack?"

Motioning for the group to stop, Dr. Fraiser quickly turned to check on her patient.

"Is O'Neill all right, Doctor Frai…?"

The doctor held a finger to her lips to silence the big Jaffa. "Shhh. He's sleeping."

Stepping around the wheelchair to see for himself, Daniel couldn't help but smile to find the older man's head resting against his shoulder, his eyes shut and mouth slightly open. He was definitely asleep, his still slightly pale features relaxed and pain free for the first time in days.

"I guess we wore him out."

"Come on, let's get him back to his room so he can rest," Fraiser said quietly, the procession to starting its journey towards the infirmary once again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Carter! Let's _go!_" O'Neill exclaimed as he prowled restlessly across the entrance ramp to the Stargate, his handsome face illuminated by the active wormhole behind him.

"Geez, Jack, you sure you're feeling all right?" Daniel asked, hefting his overloaded backpack onto his shoulders with a grunt.

Teal'c looked up from inspecting a scratch on his staff weapon. "He has been given a sound statement of vigor by Dr. Fraiser. Why would he not be feeling all right?"

"Teal'c, it's a "clean bill of health," and I ask because I've never seen him so eager to be going on a non-strategic mission before," the archeologist replied.

The Colonel stopped his pacing and glowered down from his lofty perch. "Hey, this is my first trip off-world in over a month. At this point, I'm even willing to endure one of your pittly little photo journaling excursions."

"Well, if you're going to put it that way…" Daniel uttered, mounting the stairs to the access ramp with an annoyed look.

O'Neill grinned and straightened the man's lopsided collar before clapping him on the shoulders. "So, did you remember to bring everything? Enough film, batteries, tripod, flash cubes?"

"Yep. All locked and loaded."

"Great," he said with an approving nod. "Listen, why don't you take Teal'c and head on over to the target site to set up? No sense in all of us waiting around while Carter drags her feet. We'll catch up with you in a bit."

"Sounds good to me," Daniel replied, motioning for Teal'c to follow. "I can't wait to see these ruins in person. Hopefully they'll explain why such an ideal location is uninhabited."

"Keep an eye on him, T."

The Jaffa bowed his head in acknowledgment. "He shall not leave my sight, O'Neill."

Watching thoughtfully as his two teammates disappeared through the glowing event horizon, the Colonel found himself becoming mesmerized by the undulating waves they left behind. Approaching the Gate, he placed his hand into the shimmering puddle and slowly moved it around, delighting in the small ripples and sloshing sounds it created. So preoccupied by the spectacle before him, he failed to realize that Carter had appeared at his side until she finally spoke.

"Here's the report…"

"Carter!" O'Neill shouted, wheeling around to face her, the unexpected scare launching his heart into his throat. "Didn't know you were there."

"Sorry, sir," she uttered, curious to what had had him so captivated. "You all right?"

"What? Oh, yeah, just getting acquainted with the Wall O' Water again," he replied, his eyes falling on the folder in her hands. "This the report I asked for?"

"Yes, sir. It's the complete organic analysis for that pond near the target site on P2T-303. I just got the data from SG-5 this morning, which is why I'm so late," she explained, watching as he scanned the small text.

"…Plankton…protozoa…diatoms…" O'Neill listed off, only speaking the words he knew he could pronounce correctly. While he read, he quickly became aware that he had no idea what any of the words in front of him meant. Smiling sheepishly, he passed the report back to Carter. "These _things_…they're all safe, right?"

"Actually, sir, we have many of these organisms right here on Earth," she answered, scanning down the list of microscopic creatures. "Daphnia, several types of zooplankton, phytoplankton, a few harmless strains of amoeba…"

O'Neill blinked. "But they're safe, right? Nothing like the nasties back on 564…?"

"No, sir, everything here is harmless," she assured him. "Colonel, it's not like you to take an interest in things like this. You're not nervous about going off-world, are you?"

"Me, nervous? Nah! I'm just covering all the bases of my plan, that's all."

"Plan? You're not going swimming…?"

"I'm not, but Daniel sure is."

Now it was her turn to blink. "Daniel? Does he know about this?"

"Nope," O'Neill said simply, than adding when he saw his teammate's perplexed look: "You don't seriously think I'm just going to let him get away with knocking me into the water, do you?"

"Well, no, but do you think pushing him into the water is the best thing to do?"

"Who said anything about _pushing_ him in?" he asked. "Look, you know how he's been prattling on about how important this mission is and all the pictures of the Norse glyphs he's going to take?"

"Yeah, it's all he's been talking about since SG-5 came back with the preliminary data last week."

"That's gonna take a hell of a lot a battery power, don't you think?"

"We're talking about Daniel, sir," Carter said, unsure if she really wanted to know what he was scheming. "He never leaves Earth without backing up his back up. I saw him pack about a week's worth of batteries last night…"

Her eyes widened as she watched O'Neill pull a sealed zip-top bag from his vest pocket, a dozen or so camera batteries piled inside. "Like these?"

"You really planned this out, didn't you?"

"Yep. And I'm guessing about an hour or so into his little photo shoot, he'll be looking around for a fresh battery. It's such a shame these are accidentally going to find their way into the middle of the pond around that time."

"Sir, that water comes from underground springs. It's freezing cold."

An impish grin formed on the Colonel's lips as he tucked the bag carefully back into his pocket. "Ooh, I'm counting on it. There's nothing like a nice, cold swim to remind a man of his _short_comings, hmm?"

Carter found herself unable to hide her own mischievous smile as the correlation between cold water and men became unquestionably clear. "Colonel! You're awful!"

"Payback's a bitch, Major," he said, waggling his eyebrows playfully before launching himself through the awaiting wormhole.

As she took the final steps up to the event horizon, Carter shook her head and sighed, an amused grin still on her lips. "It's good to have you back, Jack."


End file.
